Stranger Things Season 5 Photos Show New Look for David Harbour's Hopper

The character looks to have sprouted a beard since we last saw him.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

After being trapped in a Russian prison for most of Season 4 of Stranger Things, David Harbour's Chief Hopper has returned to Hawkins, Indiana, and according to new pictures posted from the set of Season 5, the character looks to be sporting a new look. In Seasons 1, 2, and 3 of the series, Hopper had a thick mustache, but Season 4 offered him a closer shave. Set photos shared by co-creator Ross Duffer highlight that Harbour now has a beard, which showcases how much time has passed since we last saw these characters in the Season 4 finale.

Duffer, who shared a variety of other behind-the-scenes glimpses at the new season, captioned the post, "Weeks 9-10."

Many fans in the comments were quick to analyze the photo to try to determine just how much time had passed since we last saw Hopper based on the length of his beard, with it being worth noting that it's also possible that this is a photo of Harbour and his own personal beard as opposed to Harbour. In other words, the actor could trim the beard to more closely resemble how we last saw Hopper in Season 4.

Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer have managed to build excitement for the upcoming season without revealing any major details about the final season's plot, with Harbour previously sharing that it will offer a fulfilling emotional conclusion to the story audiences have witnessed unfold since 2016.

"Before the strike, we were sent scripts. They're terrific, as per usual. They continue to outdo themselves, these currently-on-strikes writers, called the Duffer brothers. It's a hell of an undertaking, too. The set pieces and the things in the scripts that we saw are bigger than anything we've done in the past," Harbour shared with the Happy Sad Confused podcast in August of 2023. "You gotta imagine where it starts, after where Season 4 ended, you watch us on that hill looking at the ash and the smoke, fires. And we're gonna start somewhere after that, so you gotta imagine that the world is a different place. It's great, it'll take a while to shoot, which'll be tough, since we can't get started yet, but it is what it is."

He added, "I'm excited to go back, I'm excited to wrap it up in a bold, amazing way. I'm excited to really swing with this character, because you know that they're gonna pay off these O.G. characters -- Eleven, Hopper, Joyce, Will, Mike -- they're gonna pay them off in big ways because they've lived with you for the past eight years."

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Stranger Things Season 5 is expected to debut in 2025.

Are you looking forward to the final season? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror! 

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