‘Stranger Things’ Star Gaten Matarazzo Says Everything Will ‘Pay Off’ In The Season Finale (But The Runtimes Are Still Nuts)

As the Stranger Things season four finale inches near, it’s clear that there are more than a few plotlines that need to be wrapped up (will Joyce and Hopper ever get out of Russia! Can Eleven stand up to her bullies without potentially murdering them) and star Gaten Matarazzo has been teasing some drama.

While stopping by The Tonight Show, the actor, who plays Dustin, confirmed everything that the Duffer Bros have been not-so-subtly implying that the final two episodes would not only feature lots of death and destruction but also be a Marvel-length feature.

“The eighth episode is, I think, probably an hour and a half,” he said. “But episode nine is getting close to two and a half hours. It’s a movie.” The final episode run times were confirmed last week: episode nine will end up clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes.

Despite the length, Matarazzo says it will be worth it. “It’s all starting to pay off, and everything works, and it’s really cool.” Matarazzo added. “You learn a lot.” Hopefully that will not include learning of Steve Harrington’s death!

— Netflix (@netflix) June 29, 2022

Of course, Matarazzo also gave a behind the scenes anectdote about this season’s mega-villian Venca, played by Jamie Campbell Bower. He mentions the first time he saw the actor in fully demonic gear,

“I saw Vecna sitting there, and I looked at him and was like, ‘Hi, it’s great to see you,'” he joked. “I haven’t seen him since the table read, and he was just like (nonchalantly), ‘Yeah, how are you It’s good to see you’ — in a lawn chair, feet up. Whole half done up in Vecna gear. It is unsettling and just bonkers.” Bonkers is one way to put it!

Stranger Things season four part 2 drops tomorrow on Netflix.