Max is back in Stranger Things Season 5 – trapped in Vecna’s mind. What Sadie Sink reveals about her role, Holly’s mission and Vecna’s plan with twelve children.
The development of the “Stranger Things” character Max, played by Sadie Sink, particularly surprises fans in the fifth season of the Netflix hit series “Stranger Things”. Warning: This article contains spoilers for the third and fourth episodes of the current season.
The certainty came early
The “Stranger Things” makers made it clear to Sadie Sink before filming began on the fourth season that her character would not actually die over the course of the series – despite the dramatic season finale. “You have a role in Season 5,” they assured her, Sink recalls. However, they only explained exactly what this role would look like shortly before filming of the fifth and final season began.
Confusion in the reading samples
The Tony Award nominee told “Entertainment Weekly” at the end of October 2025 that she had to do reading samples with her colleague Nell Fisher. She embodies the older Holly Wheeler in the series. Her first reaction was confusion: “I’m in a cave? What does that mean?”
According to Sink, working with Fisher was very fulfilling and “gave her a new perspective.” “I was that age when I started the show and those teenage dynamics – we were used to that. Being the older one in that dynamic was really interesting to explore,” adds the now 23-year-old. Holly and Max will act as allies throughout the season.
Trapped in Vecna’s mind
In the third episode, the role of Max returns for the first time in the cliffhanger, before the fourth episode reveals to the audience what had happened to her. The authors of the series referred to their whereabouts as Vecna’s “mindscape”. However, director and screenwriter Ross Duffer explained: “We obviously wanted to find a slightly cooler term for the series, so we called it Holly Camazotz,” which is said to be a reference to the dark planet from “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Easter egg from the play
Holly is also caught in a “mindscape”, but in the memories of Henry’s home in Hawkins in 1959. There is an Easter egg hidden here for the fans: the setting of the memory comes from “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, the prequel play that was played in London’s West End and on New York’s Broadway – Sink himself was also part of the cast.
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Excited about escape
Sink was enthusiastic about the idea of playing Max trying to escape from Vecna’s mind: “Will she go completely crazy? Will she blossom? Or will she just think: ‘It doesn’t matter’?” What exactly Vecna’s plan is for the whole thing remains unclear – but Max lets it be known that he needs twelve children for this. Max was the fourth child he took with him – every time he takes him, a new gate to the shadow world opens.
We met the cast on the red carpet at the premiere in Berlin:
The big finale is approaching
The first episodes of the final season are already available to stream on Netflix. The final episodes will air on Christmas Day 2025. However, the season finale won’t come out until New Year’s Eve.