Back in 2023, Netflix’s TUDUM event gave us some epic news about Stranger Things 5. The show is heading into its fifth and final season, bringing this epic story about a superpowered girl and her growing band of friends to a close. And excitingly, another ‘80s icon is coming to the scene. Linda Hamilton, otherwise known as Sarah Connor of Terminator fame, will join the cast of Stranger Things 5.
It was only right for Arnold Schwarzenegger to tease her casting right before we saw Hamilton herself on video. Of course, Linda Hamilton is a Stranger Things fan like the rest of us. Right now, we know little about her character. Will she be on Eleven’s side, or is she evil like Vecna? We will see. We do know that things are in a dire place with the Upside Down basically taking over Hawkins. And if anyone can save the day in Stranger Things 5 (outside of El), it is Linda Hamilton. Netflix recently shared our first look at Linda Hamilton in Stranger Things‘ final season. She’ll play Dr. Kay.
Linda Hamilton notes of her Stranger Things casting, “I love this show so much. I really am a fan.” Although the initial behind-the-scenes look at Stranger Things 5 didn’t reveal anything further about Linda Hamilton’s character, Matt Duffer recently shared the following nugget: “She’s hyper-intelligent and intimidating. She’s a scientist, but if she needs to, she can get into a fight and shoot a gun.”
We believe Linda Hamilton’s Stranger Things 5 character is related to this aspect of the final season synopsis. “The government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.” Excitingly enough, we saw Linda Hamilton appear in the Stranger Things 5 trailer—and she indeed was shooting a gun.
To see Linda Hamilton fully in action as Dr. Kay, we’ll have to wait for Stranger Things 5 to release. Volume 1 will arrive on November 26, 2025, with four episodes. Volume 2 follows with three episodes on Christmas, December 25. And the series finale airs on New Year’s Eve, December 31. Each volume of Stranger Things 5 will release on Netflix at the same time of day, 5 pm PT.
Originally published on June 20, 2023.