When Stranger Things dropped on Netflix in 2016, no one knew it would explode into a global phenomenon. What seemed like a quirky little throwback to ‘80s horror flicks turned out to be the stuff of TV magic. Hawkins, Indiana—a town crawling with Demogorgons, shady government labs, and otherworldly portals—became the backdrop for a story that was as much about friendship and growing pains as it was about monsters.
At the heart of the chaos? A scrappy bunch of bike-riding, Eggo-loving kids who weren’t just saving their town—they were growing up right in front of millions of viewers. And now, with Season 5 just around the corner, those “kids” are hardly kids anymore. Time has done its thing. The voices are deeper, the faces a little less round, and the nostalgia? Well, it’s hitting full force.
Back then, when we first met the gang, they were just on the cusp of adolescence—some barely teens, still in that awkward, wide-eyed stage. There was something real and raw about them; they weren’t polished Hollywood kids. They felt like the weird neighbor kids you grew up with. But flash forward nearly a decade, and the transformation is wild. These actors went from slingshot-carrying middle schoolers to red-carpet regulars, balancing supernatural storylines with actual adult lives. So yeah, they’re older now. And hopefully, wiser, too.
1. Millie Bobby Brown
Debut season age: 12 years
Current age: 21 years
Millie Bobby Brown, the powerhouse who brought Eleven to life, was only 12 years old when she stepped into the spooky world of Hawkins. It’s wild to think about because she completely commanded the screen with her shaved head, intense stare, and telekinetic nosebleeds. Since then, she’s become one of the biggest names from the show, taking on everything from Enola Holmes to her own skincare line. By the time Stranger Things Season 5 ends, Brown will be 22 in real life—hard to believe considering we still picture her making Eggo waffles levitate.
Her character, Eleven (or Jane Hopper, if we’re being formal), was 15 by the end of Season 4. That mysterious, emotionally complex girl went from a lab experiment to a legit hero, and Brown’s own journey mirrors that transformation. She’s not just Eleven anymore—she’s become a full-blown star.
2. Finn Wolfhard
Debut season age: 13 years
Current age: 22 years
Finn Wolfhard—aka the sharp, sensitive Mike Wheeler—was 13 when he first picked up a walkie-talkie and got wrapped up in the supernatural chaos of the Upside Down. Mike is the type of friend who wears his heart on his sleeve, even when the world’s falling apart around him. And in real life, Wolfhard has also been busy growing up in the limelight, jumping into music and major films, proving there’s more to him than just Hawkins drama.
His character’s birthday is officially April 7, 1971 (thank the Stranger Things graphic novel for that tidbit), making Mike about 15 at the end of Season 4. Meanwhile, Wolfhard himself is now 22 and will turn 23 before the final season’s second volume arrives. He’s one of those actors who has kept the essence of Mike while also showing off his own cool, slightly quirky edge off-screen.
3. Noah Schnapp
Debut season age: 11 years
Current age: 20 years
Noah Schnapp has one of the most emotionally loaded roles on the show. As Will Byers, he’s the boy whose disappearance set off the events of Season 1—and whose connection to the Upside Down only deepened as the story progressed. Schnapp was just 11 when he first appeared as the sweet and sensitive Will, and fans watched him wrestle with fear, trauma, and isolation while still being fiercely loyal to his friends.
He’ll be 21 when the final season lands, and his character was 15 the last time we checked in on him. While many of his co-stars are already adults, Schnapp is among the few who were still a teen until recently. He was born in October 2004, which makes him the baby of the OG crew. It’s hard not to feel protective of Will—maybe because we saw so much of his early pain through Schnapp’s expressive, heartfelt performance.
4. Gaten Matarazzo
Debut season age: 13 years
Current age: 22 years
Gaten Matarazzo, better known as the lovable Dustin Henderson, was 13 when he first joined the show. And if anyone brought charm and comic relief to Hawkins, it was definitely Dustin. With his science smarts, endless curiosity, and heart-melting smile, Dustin became a fan favorite from the get-go. Matarazzo made him feel like your hilarious best friend who just happens to know how to make a homemade radio tower out of junk.
Dustin’s character is also supposed to be around 15 in the later seasons, but Matarazzo himself is a few years older. He was born in September 2002 and will be 23 by the time the series wraps. Still, he somehow holds onto that boyish energy that made Dustin such a joy to watch. And let’s be real—who else could make a demogorgon-fighting baseball bat moment feel so funny and sweet?
5. Caleb McLaughlin
Debut season age: 14 years
Current age: 23 years
Caleb McLaughlin totally lit up the screen as Lucas Sinclair. From the get-go, Lucas felt like that one friend in the group who speaks his mind, stands his ground, and doesn’t just go with the flow no matter what. He’s smart, gutsy, and not afraid to challenge his gang, even if it stirs the pot a little. At just 14, McLaughlin was the oldest of the original kid gang, and somehow, that little bit of extra age showed. There was a groundedness to Lucas—a quiet strength, even when things got totally Upside Down.
Lucas started out as the skeptic of the group, always asking the hard questions and calling out the weird. But he wasn’t just the tough guy in the corner. He had layers—moments where his guard dropped and the softness peeked through. Whether it was standing up for what mattered or letting his heart show in the middle of monster chaos, Lucas grew into so much more than the “best friend” role.
In real life, McLaughlin has grown into a stylish and confident young man who is branching out into music and other acting projects. He’ll be 24 when Stranger Things Season 5 comes around, while Lucas was 15 in the last season. Out of the entire gang, McLaughlin’s transformation might be the most visually striking—he’s completely grown up but still holds that same spark he had when the series began.
6. Joe Keery
Debut season age: 24 years
Current age: 33 years
Ah, Joe Keery—the guy who made us all do a complete 180 on Steve Harrington. When the show kicked off, Steve was the classic high school jock with great hair and questionable choices. But by Season 2, he had become everyone’s favorite babysitter and unlikely hero. Keery was 24 when he first played Steve, and he’ll be 34 when the final season ends. That’s a full decade older than his character, who was 19 in Season 4.
Despite the age gap, Keery pulls off the charming, confused, and often shirtless Steve perfectly. Steve never quite found his way after high school, but his makeshift family of misfit kids gave him a real sense of purpose. Keery’s performance added so much heart to the show, and his scenes with Gaten’s Dustin? Comedy gold.
7. Natalia Dyer
Debut season age: 21 years
Current age: 30 years
Natalia Dyer plays Nancy Wheeler, Mike’s older sister and the girl who started off as a rule-following honor student and ended up a fearless investigator of Hawkins’ dark secrets. Dyer was 21 when she began playing Nancy, and she is already 30 and will remain a 30-year-old when Stranger Things Season 5 premieres. Her character was around 18 or 19 during Season 4, which makes the real-life age difference pretty standard by TV teen standards.
Nancy’s character arc has been marked by significant growth—from heartbreaks and high school drama to gun-blazing showdowns with monsters. Dyer brings a quiet strength to the role that makes Nancy feel real even during the show’s wildest moments. And let’s not forget the chemistry she shares with both Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan and Joe Keery’s Steve—it’s the love triangle we didn’t expect to care about but absolutely did.
8. Charlie Heaton
Debut season age: 22 years
Current age: 31 years
Charlie Heaton rounds out the list as Jonathan Byers, the older brother of Will and one of the first people to suspect something sinister was happening in Hawkins. He was 22 when he took on the role, and he turned 31 this year. So, he will remain 31 when Stranger Things Season 5 airs. Jonathan was also around 18 during Season 4, which places him in the same high school grad zone as Nancy.
Jonathan might’ve started off as the quiet guy with a camera, but he’s had one of the steadiest and most emotionally grounded arcs in the series. Jonathan has always been the steady, silent strength in his family, and later, he became that same kind of partner for Nancy. Whether they’re chasing down monsters or navigating real-life chaos, the two have stuck together through it all. And here’s a little cherry on top: their on-screen chemistry has some real-life magic too!
Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer, who play Jonathan and Nancy, have been a couple off-screen for years now. It’s low-key, sweet, and honestly makes their scenes feel even more special. Jonathan might not be the loudest or flashiest guy in Hawkins, but his steady presence, his softness, his ride-or-die energy—that’s been there from the jump. He’s the kind of character who doesn’t need a big moment to matter. He just is.
Watching them change over the seasons—grow taller, bolder, more layered—has been one of the show’s quiet superpowers. It’s not just about monsters and mysteries anymore. It’s about time passing, and how, somehow, in the middle of all the strangeness, the familiar became home.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are currently available to stream on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
