Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell Bower pours cold water on biggest finale theory
Jamie Campbell Bower (Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Campbell Bower has dismissed the “Conformity Gate” fan theory that Stranger Things has a secret extra episode, saying he has filmed his part and is finished with the show.
Speaking in an Entertainment Weekly Comic-Con interview, the actor was asked about the “craziest” fan speculation he has heard. Bower replied: “That there was gonna be another episode,” referring to the long-running idea that there would be a ninth episode of the final season.
“Everyone was like, ‘Conformity Gate, there’s gonna be a ninth episode.’ I was like, ‘If there is, I’m not in it! I shot what I shot, I’m done,’” he said.
Bower also described the theory as “pretty crazy”, suggesting it gained traction because fans looked for meaning in anything the cast did publicly. “Anything that we did was like, ‘Well, that just proves it,’” he said, describing what he saw as “confirmation bias” online.
He added that he still gets asked whether a ninth episode is on the way, despite the time that has passed since the finale. “It’s been six months! If there is, they’re kinda behind,” Bower said.
Why ‘Conformity Gate’ stuck
Stranger Things concluded on New Year’s Eve last year, with some viewers theorising the ending was not the true conclusion, but an illusion created by Vecna, the villain played by Bower. The theory also fed into speculation about Eleven’s fate, which was left ambiguous in the finale.
Millie Bobby Brown has also said only three people know her character Eleven’s true fate after the ending, describing a “secret kind of pledge” with show creators, the Duffer Brothers.
Bower is an English actor and musician who played Vecna, also known as Henry Creel, becoming one of the series’ standout villains and a frequent subject of fan edits and convention chatter. He has also appeared in major studio franchises including The Twilight Saga and the Harry Potter prequel series Fantastic Beasts.
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