Nearly all of the primary leading characters will be sticking around for Season 5 of Stranger Things (such as Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, etc), but new set photos seem to have confirmed that one main character was recast.

Season 5 will be the final set of episodes for the beloved series, which will presumably see the town of Hawkins, Indiana fight back against the villainous Vecna once and for all.

The evil mastermind (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) behind most of Eleven’s problems since the first episode is currently nursing his wounds from the tragic Season 4 finale—but his threat is far from over.

Stranger Things Actor Replaced for Season 5

New set photos from Stranger Things Season 5 confirmed that Nell Fisher has joined the cast, which strongly supports the rumors that she is the recast actress for Holly Wheeler, a role previously played by twins Anniston & Tinsley Price.

Holly appeared in all four released seasons of Stranger Things and is expected to play a substantial role in the fifth installment.

The images see Fisher’s character interacting with a mailbox at the Creel house and also talking to a very human-looking Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the monstrous villain Vecna/Number One in the series.

It is important to reiterate that the content of these images from the Stranger Things set does not confirm Nell Fisher is Holly Wheeler, but given previous rumors, that is the common belief.

For fans who want to become more familiar with Fisher’s work, she recently starred in the horror film Evil Dead Rise as Kassie.

Interestingly enough, back in April 2023, the official @Strangerwriters X (formerly Twitter) account, tweeted how that movie and Season 5 have “something small but awesome in common.” It is impossible not to draw a line between that and Nell Fisher’s casting.

When it comes to Fisher being cast as Holly Wheeler specifically, that rumor first came from X user @SThingsSpoilers. Needless to say, it seems to line up with everything pretty well.

Why Did Stranger Things Recast Holly with Nell Fisher In Season 5?

Holly Wheeler, Nell Fisher
If Nell Fisher is playing Holly Wheeler, some fans might be wondering why they would recast her at all. Two probable reasons are working in tandem with one another: age and a larger role for the character.

Season 5 will probably introduce a time jump of some sort, which will also help the main cast, who are all much older than their respective characters.

If it is Holly Wheeler who goes missing in the upcoming season, that would imply that she will play an integral part in the storyline. In turn, the Duffer Brothers probably felt they needed a more seasoned actress to carry the role going forward.

In addition, Holly Wheeler was previously played by two twin actresses, which may have made it harder to progress with both of them in the role as they got older.

One key reason many feel Holly will get a spotlight is due to the previously revealed Season 5 episode titles.

In the title of “Vanishing of ***** *******,” the character’s name was censored. But if you fill in the blank with Holly Wheeler, it fits perfectly.

Though, to be fair, so does someone like Nancy Wheeler— so these conclusions still only remain strong educated guesses.

If these assumptions are the case, the disappearance of Holly Wheeler could easily create lots of fun, parallels, and callbacks to the show’s first season—a perfect move for a final season to pull off.

When it comes to Vecna itself, it is unclear how a human version of him is there and interacting with Holly. There is every chance in the world this scene is actually in a dream or false reality. After all, that is one of Vecna‘s favorite party tricks.

Stranger Things Season 5 is expected to drop in 2025 on Netflix.