Stranger Things’ Joe Keery And Charlie Heaton Recall Filming Their Season 1 Fight, And Why It ‘Went Wrong Twice’

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Wow, can you believe it’s almost been ten years since *Stranger Things* first came out? It’s crazy to think back to the beginning when the actors had no idea what a huge hit the show would become. Now, with the first four episodes of Season 5 finally coming in November 2025, they’re actually watching the early seasons *with* us fans! And it’s led to some amazing discoveries – Joe Keery and Charlie Heaton recently shared some behind-the-scenes info about their alley fight in Season 1 that totally changes how I see that scene!

Let me jog your memory: It’s Season 1, and Nancy is dating popular jock Steve Harrington, while also teaming up with loner Jonathan Byers to find out what happened to his brother Will and her best friend Barb. Jonathan has a major crush on Nancy, and the two boys get into it in the alley. As it turns out, actors Keery and Heaton opted not to use their stunt doubles for this scene, and maybe they should have. In a video posted to the Stranger Things official Instagram, the two actors recall filming their fist fight, and Heaton explains what went wrong:

Looking back, I realize exactly when things went south – twice, actually. I completely lost it and punched Joe in the nose. I pushed him off, but then, unbelievably, I went back and punched him *again*. I immediately felt terrible, and at first, he was surprisingly cool about it, like, ‘It’s okay, man, no big deal.’ He even said we could try again! But then I did it *again*. I couldn’t believe I’d messed things up so badly.

That’s exactly what stunt doubles are for! While Heaton and Keery can joke about it now, it seems things weren’t so funny at the time. The *New Mutants* actor shared that his co-star wasn’t happy about his error during a second take.

And the second time, you were so mad. You threw me out, like, angry.

It seems like some of the emotions weren’t just acting, according to behind-the-scenes information. That might be why the fight scene between these two characters felt so intense. The actor from *Free Guy* was actually hit in the face – twice – so some of his reactions were likely genuine.

It’s worth remembering that the cast wasn’t nearly as close ten years ago, before they’d filmed five seasons together. Also, Joe Keery’s character, Steve Harrington – everyone’s favorite demogorgon-fighting babysitter – wasn’t originally meant to be a significant part of the show. Steve was initially written as just Nancy’s unpleasant boyfriend and was supposed to be gone after the first season. However, he became incredibly popular with fans and now has one of the most compelling storylines in the series.

It seems these two actors weren’t close friends—likely more like strangers—when they filmed this scene. There probably wasn’t much rapport between them, and if reports are true that Heaton actually hit the other actor twice during filming, that would definitely explain the distance.

Re-watching the scene, it’s hard to fault the actor who played Marmalade. Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington actually has a surprisingly strong punch! As we later see in Season 1, Steve is capable in a fight himself, bravely stepping in to protect Nancy and Jonathan from the Demogorgon at the Byers’ home – a moment that remains one of his best. It was also one of the first times the characters involved in the love triangle put aside their personal issues and worked as a team.

I really enjoy watching these three characters together when they’re getting along, and some behind-the-scenes photos from Season 5 make me think they might work together again. I’m especially hoping the popular fan theories about Steve Harrington don’t come true, and that everyone survives. Either way, I expect I’ll be just as emotional as the actors were when filming finished.

Now you can revisit the hit sci-fi series with a Netflix subscription! Don’t miss the final chapter of Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy’s story, beginning Thursday, November 26th.

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2025-10-06 15:39