A previously unseen line of dialogue from the Stranger Things Season 5 finale has recently surfaced, revealing what might have been an emotional addition to the series’ concluding episode.
Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna, discussed the cut content on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The deleted line would have occurred during the final confrontation between Vecna and Joyce, and was intended to highlight a hidden connection between the characters.
Bower explained that in The First Shadow, a stage adaptation of Stranger Things lore, Vecna’s human identity, Henry Creel, and Joyce are depicted as having shared a classroom in their youth. The original line, simply “please don’t,” was meant to convey Vecna’s lingering humanity in that moment.
While the scene was filmed and initially felt powerful, Bower said it didn’t land as intended during post-production. “We get to ADR for season five… I remember all I wanted to say was ‘please don’t,’ and we try it, and it just didn’t work. It didn’t land, but the emotion is there,” he said.
For fans who have seen the play, the line would have been a subtle nod to the shared backstory, adding an extra layer of emotional resonance. Even for viewers unfamiliar with the stage adaptation, it could have highlighted Vecna’s desperation and vulnerability.
Though it would not have fundamentally changed the finale’s outcome, many fans believe the scrapped line might have enriched the episode and given the series a small but meaningful connection to its deeper lore.
