Who is Mr. Whatsit in Stranger Things season 5? The Netflix hit features references to A Wrinkle in Time

The latest season of the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things, has arrived, marking the beginning of the end for the show. After captivating audiences since its debut in 2016, fans are now eagerly awaiting to see how the story concludes.

Who is Mr. Whatsit, and what does he have to do with A Wrinkle in Time?

The first episodes of Stranger Things season 5 premiered on November 26th, and a new, enigmatic character named Mr. Whatsit was introduced. Viewers first encounter him as the imaginary friend of Holly Wheeler, who gets in trouble at school for talking to him.

At first, everything pointed to Mr. Whatsit being the Demogorgon, but it didn’t make sense that he could communicate with Mike’s sister since the Demogorgon only screams. It’s revealed that Mr. Whatsit isn’t the monster at all – he actually warned Holly about the creatures lurking in Hawkins.

The crucial reveal happens in Season 5, Chapter Two. Here, we find out from Holly, Mike, and Nancy’s mother that the girl identifies Mr. Whatsit as a tall, well-dressed man—who is actually Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in human form. The episode then shows Vecna as he appeared at that time.

Stranger Things, The Duffer Brothers, Netflix, 2016

Vecna leads Holly through a beautiful, peaceful version of Hawkins, showing her a perfect Creel House. He tells her he’ll rescue all her friends from the monsters. Eleven and Hopper discovered this place while searching for Holly in the Upside Down – it’s concealed behind an enormous, impenetrable wall.

The show Stranger Things is known for its many cultural references, and it appears the creators recently took inspiration from Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 novel, A Wrinkle in Time. The novel features a character named Mrs. Whatsit, a shapeshifting being who lives in a hidden, safe place – specifically, an abandoned house – away from evil.

Does this remind you of Vecna? The connections between Stranger Things and A Wrinkle in Time go deeper than that. Like Vecna controlling people in the Upside Down, the villain in A Wrinkle in Time, IT, has the same power over everyone on the planet Camazotz.

The title of episode 6 of Stranger Things 5 – “Escape from Camazotz” – strongly suggests the show will borrow even more from A Wrinkle in Time. It might be a good idea to reread the book before the final episodes are released.

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2025-11-27 12:32