Stranger Things 5: David Harbour on whether he wants Hopper to die

Netflix’s Stranger Things is full of plenty of standout characters, but few are quite as beloved as Jim Hopper, chief of the Hawkins Police Department and adoptive father of Eleven. There have been a few moments over the course of the series in which it seemed like Hopper might not remain among the living, but he’s still with us as we wait for Stranger Things 5.

While speaking with Variety, David Harbour spoke about getting back to work on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. The actor explained that his thoughts about Hopper’s mortality have shifted over the years.

There were several times I thought he should die. I certainly thought that in the beginning, because he was so destroyed and hell bent on destruction. Then when it seemed like he went in Season 3, I was happy for him.

David Harbour has now changed his mind about Hopper’s possible fate, saying, “As he’s being resurrected as the man he wants to become, it would almost be nicer to keep him alive. Let’s see what they choose.” Time will tell. The Duffer Brothers have stated that the writer’s room for Stranger Things 5 will soon begin. “We’re going to take a little vacation in July,” Ross Duffer said. “And then we’re going to come back. I know that the writer’s room is going to start in that first week of August.” Matt Duffer added that the fifth and final season will likely be shorter than the fourth season. “The only reason we don’t expect to be as long as [season 4], if you look at it, it’s almost a two-hour ramp up before our kids really get drawn into a supernatural mystery,” Matt said. “You get to know them, you get to see them in their lives, they’re struggling with adapting to high school and so forth, Steve’s trying to find a date, all of that. None of that is obviously going to be occurring [in season 5].“

When all is said and done, should Jim Hopper live or die in Stranger Things 5?