Stranger Things Star Caleb McLaughlin Has His Say On 'Dumb' Fan Theory

One of life’s small sadnesses is when your favourite TV show wraps up for good, which is exactly what happened for Stranger Things fans when the final episode landed in January. 

Unable (or unwilling) to come to terms with the fact that the gang’s story had really come to an end, some fans cooked up a theory – dubbed “Conformity Gate” – that suggested a bonus episode was still to come later that month.

The theory proposed that the epilogue in the last episode of Stranger Things was actually an illusion created by Vecna to make the residents of Hawkins believe he was dead, paving the way for a “real” ending. 

Of course, the date of the alleged “real ending” episode came and went, at which point it became clear that the finale really was it for Stranger Things.

Caleb McLaughlin, who played Lucas in all five seasons of Stranger Things, has now weighed in on the “Conformity Gate” debacle, admitting he initially thought the whole thing was a bit silly.

“At first, I thought the ‘Conformity Gate’ theory was dumb,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I get that people want to live in this optimistic place of, ‘Oh, we want more Stranger Things,’ but I was like, ’Guys, it’s over. It’s been ten years.”

Caleb then claimed that fans had “missed the concept of what the show is” when they collectively decided there was more to come after the finale.

While Stranger Things in its classic form might be done for good, it’s not totally it for Hawkins and its adventures. 

An animated spin-off series – Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 – will arrive on Netflix in April while fans can also see a stage version of the show thanks to Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is reportedly being filmed by the streaming platform this week.

As for Caleb, he’s voicing the title character in the new animated film Goat, which also features his Stranger Things castmate David Harbour.