Stranger Things star confirms next big role as they leave Netflix for rival streaming service
No clowning around here
The curse of child stars is still a thing, and while Macaulay Culkin has recently had something of a resurgence (even popping up in Amazon's Fallout), he'll be the first to tell you that it's easy to be a kid who gets chewed up and spat out by the Hollywood machine. We imagine this is a fear of those Stranger Things kids, although nearly a decade after we first met them playing Dungeons & Dragons, they're not exactly kids anymore.
For the core cast of Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), there are obvious questions about what's next after Hawkins. Although it's easy to see an eventual return to Stranger Things if Netflix continues to force its golden goose to lay eggs, it could be time for a change of scenery and streaming service for some of the actors.
There's no denying that Stranger Things season 5 has been a divisive one, with fans complaining about everything from an odd release schedule and rumors of missing scenes to complaints of queerbaiting. Still, things came to an end in style, with an epic 128-minute finale that tied everything off with a neat bow.
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An easy standout of the series has been Finn Wolfhard's comedic performance as the sarcastic Mike Wheeler, although he's enjoyed other successes with the recent Ghostbusters revival, as well as a role in Andy Muschietti's It movies.
Even though Wolfhard has dabbled in directing with 2020's Night Shifts and 2023's Hell of a Summer, his impressive CV of acting roles is set to continue as he returns to one he's infamous for. Although we're sure Netflix would stump up some serious dough to see Wolfhard return as Mike further down the line, it sounds like he'll be busy floating in the sewers of Derry as he reprises his role as Richie Tozier in the It franchise.
Having played Richie in 2017's It and 2020's It Chapter Two, it looks like Wolfhard could be destined to make a surprise appearance in It: Welcome to Derry…or something still to be announced. We know HBO's horror hit is coming back for season 2, and in Welcome to Derry's blood-soaked finale, we got some pretty important lore relating to the Tozier family.
Discussing all things Derry with Esquire, Wolfhard confirmed he's being lined up for a 'secret' It project. Although the young star stopped short of saying it's Welcome to Derry, he couldn't help but address the fact that a photo of Richie appeared in the season 1 finale: "I knew that years ago, actually. When they first started thinking about that show, it was probably 2021. Barbara and Andy Muschietti both told me, 'You’re involved.'"
As for where this goes next, Wolfhard explained: "Yeah, I’m connected. I think there’s something else that will come up eventually that I’m excited for people to see."
Given Pennywise's omnipresent abilities, it’s definitely possible for Wolfhard to reprise his role in Welcome to Derry, although the show's prequel setting means it's set long before Richie's birth. Added to this, season 1's 1962 setting is supposed to be replaced by 1935 in season 2, and 1908 in season 3 – fulfilling the creepy clown's 27-year cycle.
Others think Wolfhard could be getting ready for a mythical It: Chapter Three, especially after Welcome to Derry co-creator Barbara Muschietti has already teased the idea of an It trilogy. Muschietti noted how author Stephen King purposefully left plenty of space between stories in It, and how a third movie could bridge the gap between TV and movies.
Either way, we hope Wolfhard doesn't have coulrophobia (a fear of clowns).