Stranger Things Season 5: Vecna Nearly Became Polar Express Conductor

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for all of Stranger Things season 5! The creators of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer, have revealed that Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) was originally planned to appear as a beloved Christmas figure. Taking inspiration from the book A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle—which Holly Wheeler and her friends were reading at school—Vecna would have disguised himself as the character Mr. Whatsit to try and gain their trust.

The Duffer Brothers recently revealed that Vecna was initially conceived as the conductor from The Polar Express. Matt Duffer explained that the villain would have been seen wearing the conductor’s hat and would have picked Holly up “on a train.”

Ross believes the original idea had potential, but the creators, the Duffers, decided against it. They felt a children’s book from 1985 wasn’t quite right for Holly and her classmates, seeming too childish for their age group. They also thought the creepy storyline involving Mr. Whatsit was a better match for the show’s supernatural themes. You can find Ross’ full explanation below.

Early versions of the story actually featured a character inspired by The Polar Express. Initially, the plan was for him to be the conductor, but we decided the source material was geared towards a younger audience than we were aiming for.

Matt Duffer: Mr. Whatsit sounds cooler and creepier.

The character became even more famous after Tom Hanks portrayed him in the 2004 film, The Polar Express. However, this season of the show is set in 1987 – long before the movie came out – meaning the actor playing the role needed to base his performance more on the original book and less on Hanks’ depiction.

Jamie Campbell Bower has proven he can convincingly portray many different characters, including Vecna, Henry Creel, and One. He easily could have also played the conductor from a Polar Expressstyle segment within Stranger Things*, which would have been especially appropriate considering the second volume of the season was released on Christmas Day.

Ultimately, choosing A Wrinkle in Time felt right for the show. Matt shared that the book was a big part of their childhoods – they read it when they were Holly’s age and it really stuck with them. They also felt the story had some interesting connections to the one they were planning for Holly.

Okay, so as a huge fan of both Stranger Things and Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, I was blown away by how deeply connected the two are! It’s not just Vecna looking a little like Mr. Whatsit – the whole design of his mindscape, Camazotz, is clearly inspired by the novel. And it’s not just an Easter egg; Camazotz is central to the plot, especially when it comes to Max’s (Sadie Sink) storyline and everything that’s happening this season. It really adds a whole new layer to the show!

Thanks to Max, Holly realizes Mr. Whatsit isn’t who he seems, and Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly) also knows the truth. As the series ends, the other children Vecna kidnapped are fully controlled by him and are helping him carry out his plan for the Abyss.

It’s unclear if Vecna could have been as effectively portrayed as the conductor from The Polar Express, but if he had, it probably would have changed the story of Stranger Things season 5. Specifically, the mind prison might have looked and felt more like that Christmas movie.

The Stranger Things series finale comes to Netflix on December 31.

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2025-12-28 18:30