Millie Bobby Brown’s reaction to Eleven’s fate in the Stranger Things series finale captured intense emotion, as she offered a deeply personal behind-the-scenes look just a week after the concluding episode was released on Netflix. The moment underscores the strong bond between Millie Bobby Brown and her iconic character Eleven, highlighting how this final chapter resonated deeply with cast, crew, and worldwide audiences invested in Stranger Things lore.
Millie Bobby Brown’s Raw Reaction to Eleven’s Story
Following the highly anticipated release of Stranger Things season five, volume three, Millie Bobby Brown allowed fans a rare glimpse into her initial emotional response. As she concluded watching Eleven’s journey in a studio setting, Brown was visibly tearful, demonstrating the gravity of what the character’s fate meant to her after five seasons of portraying Eleven. She expressed gratitude to the show‘s followers, stating,
“Thank you for all these years,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven. As emotions ran high, she was heard sniffling as she took off her headphones, emphasizing the profound impact of the series on her life and career.
Brown also shared a heartfelt note with her fans, captioning her Instagram video as she watched a pivotal moment unfold for Eleven. The scene featured her co-star Finn Wolfhard, as Mike, recounting Eleven’s escape from death following a final confrontation that changed the fate of the Upside Down. The emotionally charged sequence depicted Eleven’s trek to a long-dreamed-of village with three waterfalls, supported by the enduring belief of her friends, including Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max. The cast on-screen conveyed a sense of hope with the words, “I believe.”
Mixed Interpretations Among Cast and Creators
Not every cast member agreed with Eleven’s supposed happy ending. Sadie Sink, who played Max, recently shared her own perspective, stating,
“I think Mike’s story is just one last story,”
Sadie Sink, Actress – Max. She continued with,
“and then they say goodbye to childhood,”
Sadie Sink, Actress – Max. Her interpretation suggested a more somber take, believing that Eleven’s journey may have ended tragically, and that Mike’s narrative served as comfort for his friends.
Ross Duffer, co-creator of the series, confirmed that ambiguity around Eleven’s fate was a deliberate choice.
“She lives on in their hearts,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He left the reality open-ended, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions about Eleven’s destiny. Matt Duffer, his twin and fellow showrunner, revealed that this narrative strategy was designed to make audiences confront hard truths about Eleven’s struggle:
“how could she live a normal life.”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He further described Mike as “the optimist of the group,” Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things, whose belief in a hopeful story provided emotional solace for his friends.
Behind the Scenes: The Creation of Stranger Things
The origins of Stranger Things began after writers Matt and Ross Duffer, who previously worked on M. Night Shyamalan’s Fox series Wayward Pines, developed the concept for the show. At first, the project was known as Montauk. Discussing the challenge of changing the title, Matt Duffer reflected,
“It’s very hard when your brain is latched onto a title, it’s really, really hard to get people to agree and accept another title,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He added,
“Initially when we came up with this title Stranger Things, it was hard for people to embrace,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Location Challenges Lead the Way to Atlanta
The creative team initially considered filming in Long Island to capture a coastal setting inspired by their favorite movie, Jaws. Matt Duffer shared,
“We liked Montauk, because we liked the coastal setting, and Montauk was the basis for Amity, and Jaws is probably our favorite movie, so I thought that that would be really cool,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. However, logistical and budgetary difficulties proved the plan unworkable. Duffer succinctly explained,
“Then it was really going to be impossible to shoot in or around Long Island in the wintertime. It was just going to be miserable and expensive,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. Thus, Atlanta ultimately became the production’s home base.
High Hurdle: Getting Stranger Things on Air
Before Netflix signed on, Stranger Things faced significant obstacles. Nearly 20 networks turned down the project, with many executives doubting that audiences could connect with a storyline centered on four children.
Millie Bobby Brown’s Dedication to Eleven
Landing the role of Eleven as a 12-year-old, Millie Bobby Brown made a significant personal sacrifice by shaving her head for the character. She remembered,
“The day I shaved my head was the most empowering moment of my whole life,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven. She continued,
“The last strand of hair cut off was the moment my whole face was on show and I couldn’t hide behind my hair like I used to. As I looked in the mirror I realized I had one job to do: inspire…You don’t need hair to be beautiful,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven.
Sources of Inspiration for Eleven’s Look
To create Eleven’s distinctive style, Millie Bobby Brown found inspiration from both Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road and vintage photos of Winona Ryder. She noted,
“Winona looked cool back in the day with the pixie cut,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven, adding,
“and I thought maybe I could bring it back!”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven.
Perfecting the Accent
Although British, Brown perfected an American accent using an unexpected influence—Hannah Montana. She praised the show, saying,
“Like the film, everything. Everything about it is amazing. And I got the American accent,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven.
Audition Process and Character Casting
The Duffer brothers had their young cast audition using scenes from the classic film Stand By Me. This process contributed to the authenticity and chemistry among the core group of characters. When casting Mike, the initial character was intended to be a dreamer in the style of Mikey from The Goonies. However, Finn Wolfhard’s audition changed the vision. Matt Duffer explained,
“Originally Mike was a sigher, he was a dreamer, he was much more like Mikey in The Goonies in a lot of ways,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things, but Wolfhard’s “really anxious, twitchy energy” inspired them to reshape Mike’s personality accordingly.
Cast Influence: Gaten Matarazzo and Dustin’s Character
Gaten Matarazzo’s unique characteristics led writers to tailor Dustin’s role to better fit the actor’s persona. As Matt Duffer described,
“I don’t think we really understood who that character was. He started out more like a stereotypical nerd and then we met Gaten and we basically tailored the show to him,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Eleven and the Impact of Eggo Waffles
Stranger Things resonated far beyond storytelling, with Eleven’s love for Eggo waffles resulting in a measurable sales spike for Kellogg’s. Reports indicated a 14 percent consumption increase in late 2017, with a social media buzz peaking in October months after the second season aired.
Stranger Things and Viral Moments
In early 2018, actor David Harbour captured national attention after agreeing to appear in a fan’s senior photos in exchange for 25,000 retweets and specific photo conditions. Staying true to his promise, Harbour completed the session, later quipping,
“Voted most likely to hijack someone’s high school senior photos 24 years later,”
David Harbour, Actor.
Harbour also made headlines later that year by officiating a wedding for a fan who secured 125,000 retweets and offered him the first piece of cake. He officiated the ceremony dressed as Chief Hopper, solidifying his reputation for fan engagement.
Fan Theories and Stranger Things Easter Eggs
Throughout the show’s run, viewers speculated that Eleven could be Hopper’s biological daughter; however, he instead became her surrogate father. As an affectionate nod, Eleven was seen wearing a blue braided bracelet—crafted from Hopper’s deceased daughter’s hair ribbon—during a school dance in the season two finale.
Notable On-screen Moments: Millie’s First Kiss
Millie Bobby Brown’s first-ever on-screen kiss took place in season one when Eleven and Mike shared a pivotal moment. She recalled,
“Having 250 people looking at you kissing someone is like, ‘Whoa!’”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven. In a later season, Wolfhard prepared her by whispering,
“He wanted to let me know he was, like, kissing me then,”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven. She added,
“So he was like, ‘I’m coming in,’ and he was like a ventriloquist! It was the craziest thing.”
Millie Bobby Brown, Actress – Eleven.
Casting Chemistry: Real-Life Relationships
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who play Nancy and Jonathan, began dating in 2016. Dyer commented,
“That’s something important to me—with my family, with my friends, I really like to keep it for me,”
Natalia Dyer, Actress – Nancy. On working together, she confided,
“It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with. It’s always really fun,”
Natalia Dyer, Actress – Nancy.
The Fate of Steve Harrington and Eleven
Joe Keery’s character, Steve Harrington, was initially supposed to die in season one, but the creative team changed plans. Ross Duffer stated,
“we fell in love with him during the making of season one, which is why we ended up writing that arc for him where he’s helping to save the day with Jonathan and Nancy,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He added,
“Steve was supposed to be this jocky douchebag, and Joe was so much more than that,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Similarly, Eleven was originally written to sacrifice herself as her endgame. In Ross Duffer’s words,
“Eleven was going to sacrifice herself to save the day,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
“That was always the end game. But once we realized that the show was potentially going to go on longer than one season, we needed to leave it more up in the air, because deep down we knew the show just wouldn’t really work without Eleven. And at that point, we knew how special Millie was. If there was going to be more Stranger Things, Eleven had to come back,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
The Controversial “Lost Sister” Episode
Season two’s seventh episode, “The Lost Sister,” nearly failed to air. The Duffer brothers debated excluding an installment that explored Eleven’s connection to another experimental survivor. Matt Duffer explained,
“When we got to the point of writing the episode, we wanted to see if we really needed it or not,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He continued,
“We actually did toy with pulling the episode completely, but then the ending with Eleven didn’t work at all. It just didn’t land at all. Then we ended up deciding we needed it,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Eleven’s Sibling: A Change in Script
The sibling character in “The Lost Sister” was first conceived as a brother, with the episode intended to be called “The Lost Brother.” However, the part went to Linnea Berthelsen, who played Kali. Matt Duffer observed,
“Linnea and Millie really had a connection,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He recalled,
“Millie was like, ‘I want to do this with Linnea,’”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Unexpected Casting Journeys
Nicola Coughlan, who later achieved fame on Bridgerton, originally auditioned for the role of Robin. Maya Hawke was ultimately selected, with Coughlan candidly stating,
“was far better than I ever would have been,”
Nicola Coughlan, Actress. She encouraged fellow actors,
“It’s a good lesson to actors: Watch the stuff you didn’t get, because you’ll totally understand how it’s not personal. You’re just right for some things and you’re not right for other things,”
Nicola Coughlan, Actress.
Other recognizable names, including Madelyn Cline, appeared in supporting roles before their breakthroughs, such as portraying Tina in Hawkins High.
Audition Methods: Dacre Montgomery’s Bold Choice
Dacre Montgomery, cast as Billy, took a significant risk with an attention-grabbing audition video. He described wanting
“to make a bit of a splash with the Duffers.”
His unique audition included dancing to 1980s hits wearing only a G-string. Montgomery’s apprehension was real as he thought,
“Either I’m never going to work again, or somebody somewhere is going to see one thing in me, and they’ll give me a chance,”
Dacre Montgomery, Actor. His creative gamble ultimately led to winning the role.
Financial Evolution for the Cast
Leading into season three, cast member pay increased dramatically. The young actors’ per-episode earnings reportedly surged from $30,000 to upwards of $200,000, with some stars earning even more by peak seasons. Winona Ryder and David Harbour’s compensation reached $300,000 to $350,000 per episode, while supporting cast members such as Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton were earning $100,000 to $150,000.
Breakout Roles and Expanded Characters
Priah Ferguson, who plays Erica, initially appeared in a single episode before becoming a series regular when writers recognized her scene-stealing potential.
Challenges of Growing Cast and Wardrobe Continuity
The show’s extended production required innovative solutions as the young cast continued growing. Costume designer Kim Wilcox commented,
“We had one kid we could not keep in shoes, like every three weeks he grew a half-size,”
Kim Wilcox, Costume Designer. To ensure continuity, Wilcox sourced identical styles in several sizes, saying,
“We’d buy five of them so that when somebody grew we’d have something,”
Kim Wilcox, Costume Designer.
Crafting Nostalgia: Careful Homages to the 1980s
While the Duffers drew from classics such as The Goonies, E.T., and Stand By Me, they approached these influences cautiously. Matt Duffer elaborated,
“When we billed the project to Netflix, we had this big two-and-a-half-minute trailer that had about 20 or 30 of these movies kind of woven together to try and tell the story of Stranger Things, but obviously all these images or ideas were in our heads,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He clarified,
“But then when you get into the writers’ room and you’re working on individual episodes, actually very little time is spent referencing other movies. Mostly you’re just trying to tell the story, letting the characters guide where everything’s going. Otherwise it would just be a jumble and a mess,”
Matt Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
Practical Effects Versus Visual Tricks
The Stranger Things production team initially aimed to minimize digital effects to foster a retro aesthetic. Ross Duffer explained,
“The funny thing is that the original goal was to do entirely practical effects. But what we realized—and it really made us admire those guys who did The Thing and Alien and whatever—is that doing practical is really hard,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things. He conceded,
“It takes a lot of time and preparation. We were turning out scripts as quickly as we could but they don’t have six months to prep this stuff. You show up on set and stuff that seemed like it would be a great idea to do in that old school way, we didn’t have time to do,”
Ross Duffer, Co-Creator – Stranger Things.
The Vision for Five Seasons and Growing Impact
From the beginning, the Duffer brothers conceptualized Stranger Things as a five-season journey. Netflix executive Matthew Thunell recognized this commitment, stating,
“So much of what they had in their head in 2015 is what we’re now seeing play out as we come to the end of this series,”
Matthew Thunell, Netflix Executive. The series’ fourth season ranked among Netflix’s priciest, with each episode reportedly costing $30 million.
Future Possibilities in the Stranger Things Universe
Even as Stranger Things reached its conclusion, the creative team hinted at new stories within its universe. The Duffers remain tight-lipped on specifics:
“We do have an idea for a spin-off that we’re super excited about,”
Matt and Ross Duffer, Co-Creators – Stranger Things. They added,
“but we haven’t told anyone the idea yet, much less written it.”
The secrecy remains intact, as
“Aside from Finn, no one else knows!”
Matt and Ross Duffer, Co-Creators – Stranger Things.
Significance and Legacy of Millie Bobby Brown’s Reaction as Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown’s emotional response to Eleven’s fate not only offers a poignant perspective on the series finale but also underscores the cultural impact Stranger Things has had on its viewers and stars alike. As fans and cast process the open-ended nature of Eleven’s journey—and the conflicting interpretations offered by Sadie Sink, Ross Duffer, and others—the narrative’s ambiguity seems destined to fuel ongoing discussion. The creative process behind the series, including risks taken by actors, writers, and the production team, continues to highlight the layered complexity and unique ambition that have defined Stranger Things since its inception. As the legacy of Eleven and her friends persists, the show’s influence promises to remain potent, particularly as speculation grows about future projects and spin-offs within the Stranger Things universe.
