Stranger Things Series showrunners Ross and Matt Duffer opened up about one of the most burning questions from the season finale.
Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the series’ villain, Vecna, also known as Henry Creel, was transformed into the villain through a combination of traumatic experience with an otherworldly entity, the Mind Flayer in the Upside Down.
In an interview with TadumRoss shed light on Vecna’s insistence that his alliance with the Mind Flayer was entirely his own choice, despite Will Byer’s (Noah Schnaap) suggestion of long-term possession.
In the final episode, it is revealed that Henry is reflecting on his past while rejecting the idea that he has been controlled like Will was in the previous seasons.
The moments sparked a debate among fans about the true nature of Herny’s villainy.
“We discussed with the writers room if he could have a Billy [Dacre Montgomery] moment when he turns to face the Mind Flayer [in a] Darth Vader-type situation,” Ross explained.
But the more they talked about it with the writers and with Bower, the showrunner said of the villain, “he’s come so far at this point to get here, he has to justify everything he’s done. And the only way to justify it is to go, ‘I chose this, and I still believe this.’
He noted that while Vecna seemed shaken by his old memories, redemption was in his story. “He’s too far gone at this point to turn against the Mind Flayer,” Ross added.
Ross concluded his statement by saying he’s left it up to fans “as to whether young Henry chose this or whether it was simply the Mind Flayer controlling him from start to finish.”
However, he still stressed that “as far as where Henry goes, it doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, he chooses the side of the Mind Flayer.”
Stranger Things season five is now streaming on Netflix.
