Be warned, there are minor spoilers for the first part of Stranger Things season 5! Vecna has quickly become the most frightening villain in Stranger Things after terrorizing Hawkins for two seasons. He first appeared in season 4, targeting people with terrifying visions and powerful telekinetic abilities. As the season unfolded, it was revealed that Vecna was originally Henry Creel, the first subject of Dr. Brenner’s experiments, and the source of all the attacks from the Upside Down, having been banished there by Eleven years before.
In the fifth season of Stranger Things, Jamie Campbell Bower returns as both Vecna and Henry. We learn Henry was once Holly Nell Fisher’s imaginary friend, a guise he used to find and manipulate children for his sinister plans. Meanwhile, Vecna has recovered his strength after almost being defeated by Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eleven. The season’s first volume ends with Vecna revealing his goal: to connect a group of children to his mind, allowing him to transform the real world into the terrifying Upside Down.
I was so excited to see ScreenRant interview Jamie Campbell Bower about what’s coming in Stranger Things season 5! He talked about how it all started for him with his original ideas for Vecna, and it was fascinating to hear how the character – and his vision for the villain – has grown since he first took on the role. It really gives you a sense of how much thought went into everything!
Chuckling as he admits he has to “be cautious about what I can give away,” Bower explained that when he first auditioned for the series, he was given two sets of script sides, the first of which was from Clive Barker’s Hellraiser adaptation, while the other was from the Richard Gere and Edward Norton-starring Primal Fear:
I received some sample scenes for the show and was asked if I’d like to meet Matt and Ross. That’s when I started creating a mood board – it began with Will Byers at the center, then branched out with elements from Stranger Things and other classic horror movies I admire.
Bower joked that he did all this planning “before I even knew who the character was,” based on only a couple of script pages. Despite this, he brought a concept book to his first meeting with the Duffer Brothers. He couldn’t remember if he actually showed them his early ideas, but hinted that viewers will have to “wait and see” how his understanding of the character evolved.
Surprisingly, creating Vecna’s distinctive voice is “more relaxed than stressful,” according to Jamie Campbell Bower. He explained that he initially approached the voice with tension to achieve its harsh quality, but realized that maintaining that strain would cause his vocal cords to tighten and his voice to become strained, ultimately making it impossible to perform. He described needing to avoid that tension to be able to deliver the lines effectively.
Bower explained that relaxing his vocal cords was key to creating Vecna’s voice, allowing him to breathe more easily and hit lower notes. He also acknowledged the inspiration, stating, “Credit where credit’s due, it came from Doug Bradley as Pinhead.” This confirmed that Vecna’s voice, though sometimes compared to Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, was actually based on Pinhead, another iconic character created by Clive Barker.
That’s when I decided to focus on that aspect and really pour all my emotions and frustrations into it. As someone who enjoys the show, I thought the finale was a perfect way to conclude a story I’ve grown to appreciate.
Be sure to dive into some of our other Stranger Things season 5 coverage with:
- Shawn Levy explaining why Stranger Things season 5 is the end for the series
- Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, Charlie Heaton & Joe Keery on the most rewarding and taxing scenes of the series
- Millie Bobby Brown assuring Stranger Things season 5’s ending will avoid other finale complaints
- Noah Schnapp confirming that Will Byers gets a definitive ending in the final season
- Charlie Heaton explaining how Jonathan Byers’ story is different from prior seasons
- Shawn Levy addressing the ambiguous fate of the Byers family’s dog nine years after season 1
- Shawn Levy naming his favorite Stranger Things scenes
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2025-11-27 04:08