'Online, There's Just So Much Misinformation' — Stranger Things Creators Deny Claims of Netflix Interference as Season 5 'Snyder Cut' Petition Nears 400,000 Signatures

The creators of Stranger Things person responded to a conspiracy mentation that claims determination exists a ‘Snyder Cut’ of Season 5 Volume 2 amid a petition with astir 400,000 signatures.

Earlier this week, Stranger Things histrion Randy Havens, who plays schoolhouse teacher Mr. Clarke, pushed backmost connected claims determination is simply a concealed 'Snyder cut' of Season 5 Volume 2, arsenic a petition calling connected Netflix and the show's creators the Duffer brothers to respond garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures online.

Ahead of the Stranger Things Season 5 finale connected New Year’s Eve, Havens appeared to respond to an unverified, fan-made Google Doc detailing allegedly shortened storylines that had gained attraction connected societal media. The Change.org petition that calls connected Netflix to merchandise the alleged “unseen footage” has implicit 378,000 signatures, astatine the clip of this article’s publication.

The most-liked remark connected the petition comes from idiosyncratic who seems convinced that footage was chopped from Season 5 Volume 2 for nefarious reasons. “We person been waiting since 2022 to spot this past season,” they wrote. “To beryllium robbed of scenes by Netflix which truly could person gelled the amusement each unneurotic is perfectly unacceptable, and I talk connected behalf of each fans that we person been betrayed for the amusement we love. We don’t beryllium down and bash nothing, we request to amusement the Duffer brothers, Netflix, and particularly Shawn Levy. We privation our afloat episodes, we privation the scenes which alteration everything. We privation our amusement back.”

Stranger Things fans person slammed the petition and the Google Doc that appears to person inspired it, portion praising Havens for hitting backmost connected societal media. Now, successful a Variety interview, the Duffer brothers insisted the Google Doc is “obviously… not a existent thing,” confirmed nary scenes were chopped from Season 5, and denied accusations of interference from Netflix.

“I don’t deliberation there’s a azygous chopped country successful the full season,” Ross Duffer said, earlier Matt Duffer added: “The amusement has conscionable grown truthful massive. Online, there’s conscionable truthful overmuch misinformation. Just tons of it. We would beryllium present for hours trying to bat down the worldly that was not true. But astatine the extremity of the day, hopefully the enactment speaks for itself, and it is the amusement that Ross and I wanted to make. Netflix was, and has ever been, incredible. I mean, there’s nary interference oregon absorption astatine each from them connected us. They truly spot us, and that’s been existent from Season 1 on. It’s ne'er changed, adjacent though the amusement and the size of the assemblage person grown.”

Meanwhile, Stranger Things has suffered from reappraisal bombing aft Season 5 Episode 7 met with little assemblage scores than the Netflix bid has typically seen. While the 5th and last play of Stranger Things had sparked complaints from immoderate fans astir the exposition-heavy writing, the varying prime of the actor's performances, and the crippled armor immoderate of their characters seemingly enjoy, Episode 7, called ‘The Bridge,’ became the focal constituent of a vociferous statement that spilled implicit into reappraisal aggregate websites.

Will Byers' coming retired country appears to person fueled this reappraisal bombing. In it, Will, played by Noah Schnapp, issues a lengthy monologue successful which helium tells a gathering of characters that helium “doesn’t similar girls.” The scene, which takes spot arsenic supervillain Vecna applies the finishing touches to his masterplan for satellite domination, ends with an affectional Will comforted by his friends.

The Duffer brothers were asked astir the reappraisal bombing successful the Variety interview, and explained Will’s coming retired country shouldn’t person travel arsenic a surprise. “The coming retired country is thing we’ve been gathering to for 9 years now,” Ross Duffer said. “It was a truly important country for us, and a truly important country for Noah — not conscionable from a thematic constituent of view, but besides a communicative constituent of view. This amusement has ever been astir our characters overcoming evil, and successful bid to flooded this evil, Vecna, successful truthful galore ways, represents each the acheronian thoughts and the evil of society. And for our characters to flooded that, it truly becomes astir embracing themselves, and past besides embracing 1 different and coming together.”

Matt Duffer called the country “the last measurement successful Will’s journey.” He continued: “and Will is, successful truthful galore ways, the cardinal to defeating Vecna. Volume 1 is truly astir self-acceptance, right? I mean, that’s benignant of measurement one. And past measurement 2 is Will is talking to Robin — it’s thing that helium wants to do. He’s trying to fig retired however to travel out, and helium knows that helium needs to bash that, and that that’s the last measurement for him. And helium finds the courageousness to beryllium capable to bash it. And it’s truly the eventual fuck you to Vecna. That was the intention.”

As for the reappraisal bombing campaign, Matt Duffer said the creators were not prepared for it. “Because it is, arsenic Ross said, thing we’ve been gathering for a truly agelong time. I ever say, Ross and I are galore things, but subtle is not 1 of those things!”

Matt revealed that he’s been texting with Noah Schnapp aft the coming retired country aired, “and he’s successful a truly bully place. He’s precise arrogant of the scene, and we’re arrogant of the scene.”

We've got plentifulness much connected Stranger Things, including the Duffer brothers explaining what they were going for with the Season 5 finale and Eleven's ending, and archetypal details connected the live-action spinoff.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].