‘Stranger Things 2’ Cast: Meet the Characters in Netflix Season 2

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Netflix is bringing back Stranger Things 2. As you dive into the new season, take a look at the cast for Season 2. The majority of the characters are returning, but some new people are being added to the mix and some favorites are being upgrades to series regulars. Here’s everyone who’s starring in Stranger Things 2. (Minor spoilers below about characters.)


Returning Characters

Will Byers (by Noah Schnapp)

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Will is being upgraded to a series regular for Season 2. He was missing for most of the first season, caught in the Upside Down. At the end of Season 1, he was rescued but appeared to take something sinister with him. The last we saw him, he was vomiting up slug creatures and his vision seemed to be switching from our world to the Upside Down.

Eleven (by Millie Bobby Brown)

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Eleven is back, and now she has hair! In Season 1, we left not sure what happened to Eleven. She successfully fought off the Demogorgon but disappeared in the process. From the trailers, we know that she’s coming back.

Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)

Mike befriended Eleven in Season 1 and they seemed to have a bit of a romantic connection too. Now he wants to find her again and there seems to be some kind of supernatural-like connection between the two characters.

Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)

Dustin played a crucial role in defeating the Demogorgon, and now he’s back for Season 2. He’s rejoining the gang and ready to fight the latest threat to the real world.

Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin)

Lucas is also a crucial member of the team that defeated the Demogorgon in Season 1. He’s returning to Season 2, stronger than ever.

Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer)

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Nancy (pictured right) is Mike’s older sister and played a central role in Season 1. At the end of the season, she was back with her boyfriend Steve despite how terribly he treated her at one point. She’s also friends with next door neighbor Jonathan, who is a fellow adventurer against all things supernatural (after he got past all the creepy stalking stuff.) Her best friend, Barb, was an early victim of the Upside Down.

Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton)

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Jonathan is Will’s quieter older brother. He’s pretty much in love with Nancy, even though she’s decided to stick with Steve. It’s unclear what his role will be in Season 2, but we know he’s returning. But he will probably stop taking photos of Nancy and stalking her now.

Steve Harrington (Joe Keery)

Steve is Nancy’s boyfriend and has been upgraded to a series regular for Season 2. He was pretty awful to Nancy at some points in Season 1, but they reunited and reconciled at the end of the season.

Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder)

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Joyce is Will’s longsuffering mom. She struggled greatly in Season 1, but never gave up on her son no matter how difficult things got. She’s back for Season 2, dealing with a mysterious illness that Will is taking back from the Upside Down. At one pint it seemed like Joyce and Jim were destined to be together, but now at the beginning of Season 2, it looks like she’s with someone else.

Jim Hopper (David Harbour)

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Jim is back as Hawkins Police Chief and grieving dad of a young daughter who died after suffering a long illness. At the end of Season 1, he had befriended Eleven and rescued Will from the Upside Down. But he also appeared to make some kind of deal with Hawkins National Laboratory (that’s the facility that kidnapped and experimented on Eleven in the first place.) At the end of Season 1, he was leaving food in the woods that matched Eleven’s very unique tastes.


New Characters

Max (by Sadie Sink)

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Max is a brand new character, joining the cast in Season 2. She’s a tough, tomboyish girl with bright red hair.

Roman (Linnea Berthelsen)

Roman is another new character in Season 2. She’s a mysterious older teen who’s hiding a traumatic past.

Billy (Dacre Montgomery)

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Billy is a new addition to Season 2. He plays Max’s older brother (Max is the redhead who’s also a new addition to the cast this season.) He’s described as hot-tempered and a bit of a rebel.

Bob Newby (Sean Astin)

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This new character is described as a kindhearted nerd who is dating Joyce.

Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman)

Murray is a new character for Stranger Things season 2. He’s described as a disgraced journalist who chases conspiracy theories. Seems kind of fitting for a show premiering around the same time that new JFK files are being released.

Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser)

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Dr. Owens is also new to the Stranger Things cast. He’s part of the Department of Energy. It seems just from that brief description that he can’t be trusted, right?