Gaten Matarazzo wants ‘Stranger Things’ to kill off more main characters
Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin in Stranger Things, has suggested that the writers of the show should have killed off members more of the main cast.
Ahead of the Netflix show’s fifth and final season, Matarazzo spoke on a panel at MegaCon Orlando. Shooting was set to begin on the upcoming series last year, but the writers and actors strikes, which dominated Hollywood for a large chunk of 2023, led to a delay. However, at last, production is now underway.
On a break from filming, Matarazzo spoke with fans in Orlando, and in response to a question about what should change on the show, the actor said, “It might sound messed up, but we should kill more people.”
“This show would be so much better if the stakes were much higher like at any moment any of these kids can kick it. I feel like we’re all too safe,” Matarazzo added.
The Netflix show has not killed off any of its main cast members since it first aired in 2016. The main group of friends, played by Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp, have all remained in their roles with no real threat posed to their characters.
Slightly older characters like Nancy, played by Natalia Dyer, and Jonathan, played by Charlie Heaton, have also stayed safe, alongside parental figures played by Winona Ryder and David Harbour. So far, the show has only dared to kill off supporting characters such as Barb and Billy.
The Duffer brothers, who created the show, have previously spoken out about the potential for killing more main characters. “This is Hawkins, it’s not Westeros,” they once declared during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, “The show becomes not Stranger Things anymore, because you do have to treat it realistically, right?”
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