Lucas Sinclair actor shuts down fan speculation about a secret episode and confirms the Netflix series has truly ended.
Nearly two months after the two-hour series finale of Stranger Things premiered on New Year’s Eve, one of its stars is finally speaking bluntly about the fan theory that refuses to die. Caleb McLaughlin, who has played Lucas Sinclair for a decade, is telling viewers what they may not want to hear: the show is over, and that happy ending was real.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McLaughlin addressed the viral Conformity Gate theory head-on. His response was direct and left no room for interpretation.
“At first, I thought the ‘Conformity Gate’ theory was dumb. I get that people want to live in this optimistic place of, ‘Oh, we want more Stranger Things,’ but the show is done, guys. I was like, ‘Guys, it’s over. It’s been 10 years. We were full-on kids, and now we’re full-on adults, and we don’t need any more of us.’”
McLaughlin’s comments mark the first time a core cast member has publicly dismissed the elaborate theory that has dominated Stranger Things discussions since January.
What Is Conformity Gate and Why Fans Believed It
The Conformity Gate theory emerged days after the finale dropped on December 31, 2025. Supporters claimed the upbeat ending—where the Hawkins crew defeats Vecna, graduates high school, and plays one last Dungeons & Dragons campaign—was actually a mass illusion created by the villain to trap both the characters and the audience.
Fans pointed to several details they considered suspicious :
- The dial prop: A device Steve and Robin operated appeared grey in one shot and red in another. Believers argued this was not a continuity error but a clue.
- The shelf message: During the final D&D scene, character names on game folder spines aligned to spell “X A LIE,” which theorists connected to Dimension X.
- Graduation robes: The color orange was not common for 1980s graduation attire, leading some to suggest the ceremony was a Vecna-controlled fantasy.
- Hand placement: Multiple extras in the graduation scene had their hands clasped in their laps—the same position Vecna uses to cast his spells.
- Holly Wheeler’s observation: In earlier episodes, Mike and Nancy’s younger sister noticed small details being “wrong” in Vecna’s dreamscape, which fans applied to the finale.
The theory gained such traction that Netflix’s own search bar reportedly auto-completed “fake ending” when users typed “Stranger Things” .
McLaughlin Explains Why the Happy Ending Is Real
Rather than ignoring the speculation, McLaughlin addressed why the Duffer brothers chose to conclude the series on a positive note. He explained that the creators remained true to the show’s identity.
“The Duffers, our wonderful, amazing creators, wanted to leave everybody with this level of optimism that the show has always given everyone. So if they left the show without that, we would have left Stranger Things without the true essence of what we’ve been representing forever.”
The actor also clarified that fans misinterpreted a key moment involving Mike Wheeler played by Finn Wolfhard. In the finale, Mike suggests Eleven may have faked her death—a line some viewers took as proof that the real ending was darker and being hidden.
“I think people missed the concept of what the show is when they were like ‘Oh, there’s going to be more.’ No, that’s just Mike’s imagination. That’s who he’s always been, even in season 1. It’s all just storytelling.”
The Final Scene Was Planned Eight Years Ago
McLaughlin emphasized that the finale’s structure was not a last-minute decision or a trick. The final shot of the series—the group gathered around a table playing Dungeons & Dragons—was always the intended destination.
“We started off season one playing Dungeons & Dragons, and we ended just like that. And Mike’s storytelling and writing ability is how the show should have ended.”
Ross Duffer, who created the series with his brother Matt, previously confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that this ending was locked in years before filming began.
“It was always gonna end in a D&D campaign and then leaving and shutting the door on their childhood. That’s been planned for eight years.”
Matt Duffer added: “The final episode is, in fact, the end of this story for these characters.”
McLaughlin’s Honest Take on Eleven’s Fate
During the same interview, McLaughlin was asked about the fate of Millie Bobby Brown’s character, Eleven. While the finale shows Eleven alive and walking into the future with her friends, McLaughlin offered a personal opinion that surprised many.
“She’s gone. I’m so sorry. I think she evaporated.”
His comment was made partly in jest, but it reflects his belief that viewers should accept the finale as presented rather than searching for hidden layers.
A Decade of Growing Up in Hawkins
For McLaughlin, the dismissal of the Conformity Gate theory is also about closure. He began playing Lucas Sinclair at age 14 and wrapped production at 23. The show consumed nearly half his life.
Earlier this year, McLaughlin described his final day on set as deeply emotional. He told ScreenRant he was determined not to cry but ultimately broke down .
“And last year, of course, the last day I was like, ‘I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry.’ And then ended up just bawling, man. Ten years of just love, laughter and sadness and peace. So I was able to get all those feelings out.”
He added that his connection to the series is not just professional but personal.
“I’ve done the show for so long, for, of course, myself and my love of art and TV, and this was my childhood dream, but this has been a lot of people’s childhood experience, and it’s gotten people past a lot of their trauma or things that they’ve experienced, and they watch the show and it’s helped them escape.”
The Duffer Brothers Also Confirmed the Ending
McLaughlin is not the only person connected to Stranger Things to reject the Conformity Gate theory. The Duffer brothers told The Hollywood Reporter months before the finale aired that they were not aiming for a shocking, tragic ending .
“It’s not ‘Game of Thrones.’ We’re not in Westeros. I love ‘Game of Thrones,’ but it’s just a very different type of show than that. There’s not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone.”
Despite these repeated statements, the theory persisted online through January and February 2026.
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What McLaughlin Is Doing Now
While Stranger Things has ended for McLaughlin, his career has not slowed down. His animated sports comedy GOAT releases in theaters February 13, 2026. He voices Will Harris, a young goat who dreams of playing professional roarball. The film co-stars Stephen Curry, Gabrielle Union, and his Stranger Things co-star David Harbour .
McLaughlin has also taken on dramatic roles in Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance (2024) and the biographical sports film Shooting Stars (2023), where he played LeBron James’ best friend Lil Dru Joyce III.
His comments about Stranger Things remain grounded in gratitude rather than nostalgia.
“I just feel blessed and just happy to have these guys and been a part of just something so amazing, and that has touched a lot of people.”
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