A viral online petition calling for Netflix to release what it describes as 'unseen footage' from the final season of Stranger Things has amassed nearly 300,000 signatures, sparking a major fan theory that has been directly addressed by a cast member.
The Viral Petition and Fan Theories
In the wake of the release of Stranger Things 5 Volume 2, a significant number of fans have taken to social media to voice dissatisfaction, believing that crucial story elements were missing. This discontent crystallised into a formal petition on the website Change.org, launched on 29 December 2025.
The petition's description argues that clues and information provided by the cast in interviews do not match the episodes that aired. It states: 'I believe [there] was more to the episodes and we didn’t see them either due to Netflix or the team of Stranger Things cutting them.'
Fan theories, which have spread rapidly online, suggest that entire character arcs and plotlines, particularly those involving Will Byers and Mike Wheeler, were edited out. Supporters of the theory point to behind-the-scenes photos that don't correspond to any released scenes and cite unconfirmed claims about longer episode runtimes as evidence.
Cast Member Shuts Down Claims
The speculation grew so loud that it reached the show's actors. Randy Havens, who plays the beloved science teacher Mr. Clarke, took to his Instagram Story on 28 December to directly counter the rumours.
In a clear rebuttal, Havens wrote: 'There is no Snyder Cut of the show, please don’t believe everything some random a** tells you on the internet.' His comment references the fan-led campaign that resulted in the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
This aligns with previous statements from co-creator Ross Duffer, who had already dismissed false runtime leaks and later confirmed the official episode lengths on his own Instagram account. The Duffer brothers have also stated they did not film multiple endings for the series.
Netflix's Silence and Fan Backlash
As of now, Netflix and the Duffer brothers have not officially addressed the petition or the surrounding theories. However, the online conversation has not been one-sided. Many other fans have criticised the petition, accusing its supporters of spreading 'blatant misinformation' and creating narratives without factual basis.
There remains no confirmation or evidence from Netflix, the producers, or the writers that any substantial scenes or plot chunks were removed from the final edit of Stranger Things 5. The theories appear to stem solely from fan interpretation and unverified online sources.
Despite the actor's intervention, the petition continues to gather signatures, highlighting the intense passion and sometimes fractious dialogue between a fanbase and the creators of a global phenomenon as it reaches its conclusion.
