How Old The Young Cast Of Stranger Things Will Be When Season 4 Finally Airs
By the time season 4 of Stranger Things airs, much of its young cast will be rapidly aging out of their characters, thanks to long delays. Of course, anytime a show deals with child or teenage characters, viewers know that them aging inconveniently fast may become a continuity problem. While Hollywood productions are usually tightly controlled, meticulously planned affairs, the natural aging of actors isn't really something anyone can stop or postpone. This leads to situations in which formerly scrawny, nerdy kids now look like football players, and short kids are suddenly 6'2".
The aging factor already proved a problem that needed dealing with on the 2017/2019 duology of IT movie adaptations, as IT Chapter Two featured multiple flashback scenes of the Stephen King child group, the Losers' Club, which brought back the actors from the first IT. People can grow a lot in two years though, and de-aging techniques along with camera tricks were used to try and make the differences unnoticeable. This strategy didn't entirely succeed, but the effort was admirable.
IT and IT Chapter Two featured Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, a role he landed not too long after breaking out as Mike Wheeler on Stranger Things. He noticeably grew during that two-year span, and with Stranger Things season 4 set to premiere nearly three years after season 3, the makers will likely face the same problem with Wolfhard and his castmates. Here's how old the young actors will be by the time season 4 airs in 2022, which judging by past scheduling will be during summer or fall.
Finn Wolfhard, also known for playing Richie Tozier in the aforementioned IT movies, will be 19 when Stranger Things season 4 airs in 2022. As presented in season 3, Mike Wheeler is 14-years-old. If the Duffer brothers choose to reflect the three-year gap within the story, that'll put Finn at only 19 to his character's 17, although as seen in the difference in Finn's appearance between the IT chapters, two years can make a huge difference in looks when one is still growing.
Godzilla vs. Kong and Enola Homes' Millie Bobby Brown, the biggest breakout star to emerge from the cast of Stranger Things, will be 18-years-old when season 4 airs in 2022. Eleven is canonically 14-years-old in season 3, the same age as Mike. So when season 4 airs, Brown will be 18 to her character's 17, lessening the gap if the real-life time passage is reflected.
Gaten Matarazzo, playing fan-favorite Dustin - who some fans believe is dating a Russian spy - on Stranger Things, will, like Finn Wolfhard, be 19 when season 4 airs in 2022. Dustin is also 14-years-old during season 3, making Gaten also 19 as opposed to 17 for season 4. The Duffers likely will reflect the actual time passage, since they did for the real two years between seasons 2 and 3. However, if they opt not to, it's going to become all the more noticeable if any of the kids have shot up a foot in height.
Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Dustin's best friend Lucas on Stranger Things, will be the oldest of the core four when season 4 airs in 2022, at 20-years-old. Lucas is also 14 and, if 17 in season 4, will represent the largest age gap between character and actor of the quartet. For the most part though, the small gaps between the core four characters and their actors reflect a desire by the Duffer Brothers to not cast too far above their youngest roles, which has proven to be a smart decision.
Natalia Dyer plays Mike's caring, resourceful, and surprisingly tough older sister Nancy Wheeler on Stranger Things, and will be 27-years-old when season 4 airs in 2022. Nancy was only 17 at the end of season 3, so if she's 21 during season 4, Dyer will be a whole six years older than her character. Not quite a giant gap though, especially when one considers that teenagers are sometimes played by people in their mid-30s, albeit not quite as often as that happened in the Beverly Hills 90210 era.
Charlie Heaton plays Jonathan, the brooding older brother of Upside Down potential creator, Will Byers, who was a big part of the search for him during Stranger Things season 1. Heaton will be slightly older than his sometimes love interest Dyer, at 28-years-old when season 4 airs. Jonathan ended season 3 at 17, putting an eight-year gap between actor and character, one of the biggest among the younger cast members. In Heaton's case though, he's always looked a bit older than his character, so it may not be too jarring going forward.
Noah Schnapp, portrayer of Will Byers, friend to the core four, and occasional inter-dimensional kidnapping victim, is actually the youngest of the kids, and will be 17 when Stranger Things season 4 airs in 2022. Since Will should also be 17 in season 4, if real time is reflected, Schnapp will be exactly in line with his character, again reflecting a desire by the creators to avoid casting the kids with older actors.
Fear Street star Sadie Sink, who recently earned praise for her work as outsider-turned-survivor Ziggy in the aforementioned horror trilogy, plays Max, younger sister of formerly awful - and formerly living - person Billy Hargrove, and love interest of Lucas. Although she does indeed look much younger, Sink will be 20-years-old when season 4 airs in 2022, somewhat appropriately giving her the same age gap from her character that Caleb McLaughlin has from Max's boyfriend Lucas.
Joe Keery is probably the third-biggest breakout star of the Stranger Things cast after Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, and can next be seen in Ryan Reynolds' upcoming feel-good comedy adventure film Free Guy. Thanks to potential season 4 victim Steve Harrington becoming a decent, likable person during season 2, Keery's career has really taken off in recent years. If he had remained the huge jerk he was in most of season 1, things may have gone differently. He's also easily the oldest of the actors behind the teenage Stranger Things characters, as he'll be 30-years-old when season 4 airs, as opposed to Steve's 22.
Maya Hawke, daughter of Ethan Hawke and another recent - albeit quite brief - resident of Netflix's Fear Street, quickly became a fan-favorite as Steve's sarcastic but kind friend and coworker Robin during Stranger Things season 3. Hawke will likely be 24-years-old when season 4 airs in 2022, depending on exactly when it ends up airing, putting only a slight gap between her and Robin's 20.