6 Stranger Things Stars Who Almost Played Different Roles

Let’s be real: Stranger Things turning its (mostly) unknown cast into actual stars is half the fun of going back to Hawkins again and again. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour—at this point it feels weird to picture them as anyone but Eleven, Mike, and Hopper. But here’s a curveball: some of these actors actually auditioned for totally different roles. We very nearly ended up with a world where Steve never swung that bat, Dustin wasn’t making us laugh, and Argyle... well, Argyle might not have delivered those pizzas. Stranger Things was basically cast by happy accident, and once you see who almost played who, you’ll wonder how anything in that show ever made sense.

Below, I’ve run down six Stranger Things actors who went into auditions gunning for one character, but landed somewhere completely different. And honestly, we’re all better for it.

Who Auditioned for Who (And Where They Ended Up)

• Eduardo Franco: Franco is the guy behind Jonathan’s stoner buddy Argyle in season four—an instantly quotable, Pizza Van-driving delight who’s there mostly to lighten the mood (which, let’s face it, that season desperately needed). But Franco’s first shot was actually at the role of Eddie Munson. Casting passed him over for Joseph Quinn (which absolutely worked; Quinn’s Eddie became a cult hero overnight). No hard feelings, because Franco’s Argyle quickly slid into fan-favorite territory, too. The bummer: despite Argyle’s popularity, Franco never showed up for season five. Apparently, comic relief doesn’t always make the final cut.
• Robert Englund: You know him as Freddy Krueger. But he wanted to play Mayor Larry Kline in Stranger Things season three. Didn’t land it (that went to Cary Elwes), but the Duffer Brothers kept his number and brought him back for season four as Victor Creel—the tragic backstory guy who ends up locked in a psychiatric hospital after being blamed (wrongly, thanks to his horror-movie son) for his family’s murder. Englund’s Victor got one heck of a creepy episode, then more or less vanished from the show after that.
• Sean Astin: Out of all the alternate castings, this might be the most “thank god this didn’t happen” moment. Sean Astin—Bob Newby, king of the trustworthy nice guys, Joyce’s boyfriend, and hero #1 from season two—originally tried out for Murray Bauman, the abrasive, conspiracy-obsessed P.I. That’s a swing and a miss, and it’s probably for the best: Brett Gelman is Murray by now, and Astin was born to break our hearts as Bob. By season five, Murray survived and is still meddling in Hopper and Joyce’s business (in only the best way).
• Noah Schnapp: You probably know him best as Will Byers, the sensitive kid with the worst luck in Hawkins. But when he first tried out, Schnapp aimed for the job of Mike Wheeler—the quasi-leader and Eleven’s awkward boyfriend. That gig went to Finn Wolfhard, while Schnapp was slotted in as Will. It might’ve felt like getting the “friend” role, but considering the whole show kicks off with Will going missing in season one, and by the end of the series he’s arguably the most emotionally central character, it’s fair to say he ended up exactly where he needed to be.
• Gaten Matarazzo: Turns out Schnapp wasn’t the only person gunning for Mike. Gaten Matarazzo gave it a shot too, but got rerouted to Dustin. And let’s be honest, Stranger Things just doesn’t work without Dustin’s relentless optimism, D&D nerdery, and all those jokes. Fun (and meaningful) detail: after casting Matarazzo, the writers gave Dustin the real-life condition Matarazzo has, cleidocranial dysplasia, making the character feel even more authentic.
• Joe Keery: Here’s another familiar face who almost landed in a totally different lane. Keery is now legendary as bat-wielding Steve Harrington, yet his first audition was actually for Jonathan Byers (Will’s older brother, played by Charlie Heaton). Luckily (for everyone involved), the Duffer Brothers saw his potential for the “douchebag with a heart of gold” track, and made Steve into one of the best redemption arcs on TV. Plus, the synergy between Keery and Matarazzo (Dustin) became a highlight of the whole series.

Casting Chaos = Lightning in a Bottle

So yes—some of the most beloved Stranger Things characters only happened because casting directors trusted their gut and shuffled the deck. Honestly, I can’t complain: it’s very obvious now that the right people ended up as the right characters, whether that was pure luck, skill, or just the universe making things right for once.

'We really can't imagine these six actors playing anyone else in Stranger Things.'

I buy it. Steve with a camera? Dustin without the lisp? Argyle as Metallica’s number one fan? No thanks, I’ll stick with this upside-down any day.