With the Stranger Things season 4 release happening three years after season 3 ended in 2019, the ages of the characters clearly don’t reflect those of the actors. Back in Stranger Things season 1, many of the younger cast like Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp were close in age to their characters. However, the large gaps between installments, especially before season 4, have led to every actor becoming much older than their characters.
The different age groups in Stranger Things have helped appeal to a broad range of viewers at home, which is part of what has made the series so popular. Stranger Things began with three distinct groups: The Party, which featured the middle-school-aged kids; the older high schoolers with Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy; then the parents with Hopper and Joyce. The cast of characters has expanded since Stranger Things season 1 ended, with season 4 seeing all the notable figures grow closer to adulthood and introducing new fan-favorite ing characters like Eddie Munson.
Stranger Things seasons 1 and 4 are separated by a six-year gap in the real world - but much less time has ed in the fictional town of Hawkins. Though this has no effect on the older adults in the cast, it's become pretty obvious in the younger cast. Here are the ages of the main characters in Stranger Things compared with the ages of their respective actors.
Eleven
Although the exact date of Eleven’s birth is unknown, Stranger Things revealed that the character was born in 1971. As such, Eleven was 12 years old in season 1 (1983), 13 in season 2 (1984), and 14 in season 3 (1985), with her ages corresponding to those of the boys in The Party. During Eleven's flashbacks to Hawkins Lab, she was 8 years old (1979) and was played by child actor Martie Blair, whose exact age at the time is unknown but presumed to be around 11. In the current Stranger Things season 4’s timeline, Eleven finished out the season at 15 years old after enduring her freshman year in high school. In comparison, Eleven actor Millie Bobby Brown was 18 years old during the premiere of Stranger Things season 4.
Jim Hopper
Stranger Things’ dad figure is still in his 40s during season 4, but Hopper’s time doing labor in a Russian prison is apt to make him feel much older. Although Stranger Things’ series hasn’t quite revealed his age, the canon book Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town reveals that he was 35 years old in 1977. Adding another 9 years onto this in correlation with the spring 1986 timeline puts Jim Hopper's age at 44 years old during Stranger Things season 4. While David Harbour began Stranger Things slightly younger than his character, the actor was 46 when season 4 dropped, making him only two years older than Hopper.
Mike Wheeler
Just like his girlfriend Eleven, Mike Wheeler was born in 1971, making him 12 years old when Stranger Things season 1’s madness begins. While his birthday was revealed as April 1, 1971, in Stranger Things’ comic books, the comics don’t appear to be canon for Netflix’s story, so his birthday may be different in the series. Either way, Mike is 15 years old in Stranger Things season 4's timeline. Mike’s actor Finn Wolfhard, however, was 19 years old when Stranger Things season 4 was released, making him at least four years older than his character.
Nancy Wheeler
Mike’s older sister Nancy was a sophomore in high school during Stranger Things season 1, which put her at about 15-16 years old in the fall of 1983 timeline. Since Stranger Things season 3 took place during the middle of summer in 1985, it’s assumed that Nancy was still only 17 years old as she was heading into her senior year of high school. With season 4 bringing her to spring 1986, Nancy Wheeler was 18 years old during her horrifying encounters with Vecna. While Nancy’s age is 18, Natalia Dyer was 27 during Stranger Things season 4, just about 9 years older than her character.
Dustin Henderson
Fan favorite character Dustin Henderson is the same age as Mike and Eleven, which makes him 15 years old during Stranger Things season 4. While Stranger Things hasn’t officially revealed Dustin’s birthday, it’s logically assumed that he has the same birth year as his friends – 1971. This means that Dustin’s age in Stranger Things season 4 was 15, though his actor Gaten Matarazzo will be 19, reflecting the same Stranger Things character-cast age gap as Mike with Finn Wolfhard.
Will Byers
While Will has typically come off as seeming younger than the other characters his age, Stranger Things season 2 revealed his birthday as March 2, 1971, possibly making him even older than some of his friends. Since Spring Break for the Byers family in California will likely be sometime between mid-March and late April, it can be assumed that Will Byers was 15 years old during Stranger Things season 4. As the youngest prominent cast member in Stranger Things season 1, Noah Schnapp is still the actor closest to his character’s age in season 4, given that he was 17 when it aired. This is especially true after viewers noticed how an episode in season 4 occurs on the same day as Will's birthday, which showrunners somehow forgot – just one of the many headscratchers and plot holes in Stranger Things season 4. That said, the Duffer brothers responded to this by saying that they might rectify the situation by changing Will's birth month, which would keep the character's season 4 age at 15.
Jonathan Byers
Will’s older brother Jonathan Byers and Nancy are in the same year in school, though Jonathan's actual age is slightly easier to pin down. Jonathan was revealed to be 16 in Stranger Things season 1’s fall 1983 timeline, though he’s only a sophomore in high school. As such, it seems likely that he was born in the late summer or fall of 1967, which makes sense as to why he would still be 17 during Stranger Things’ season 2 and 3 timelines. During Stranger Things’ season 4 timeline, Jonathan was an 18-year-old high school senior. Charlie Heaton, however, was 28 years old in season 4 – a full decade older than his character.
Joyce Byers
Joyce was the same age as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things season 1, with the pair often discussing their friendship in high school. Since Hopper was born in 1942, it seems Joyce likely shares the same birth year, making her also 44 years old during Stranger Things season 4. Like David Harbour, Winona Ryder was the same age as her character when Stranger Things season 1 began but will now be three years older than her character in season 4. Interestingly, Ryder was born in 1971, meaning she is the same age in real life as the younger Stranger Things characters would be in the show timeline's 2022.
Lucas Sinclair
Lucas is also assumed to be born in 1971 alongside Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and Will, though Stranger Things has never officially declared his birthday. If following the same age range as his friends, Stranger Things' Lucas Sinclair was 15 during season 4, with the character finishing out season 4 in a situation no 15-year-old should be in. Meanwhile, actor Caleb McLaughlin was 20 years old when Stranger Things season 4 began – five years older than Lucas.
Steve Harrington
Steve “The Hair” Harrington has become one of Stranger Things’ biggest fan favorites, with the series finding clever ways to keep him in Hawkins due to the character being older than the other teens. Steve is revealed to be one year older than Jonathan and Nancy, with the character having just graduated from high school in Stranger Things season 3. In Stranger Things season 4’s spring 1986 timeline, Steve was 19 years old. Joe Keery, on the other hand, was 30 years old when Stranger Things season 4 dropped, making him over 10 years older than his character.
