Holly Wheeler: The Rising Star of Stranger Things Season 5

A New Chapter for the Youngest Wheeler

In 2025, actress Nell Fisher began portraying Holly Wheeler in the fifth season of the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things, marking a dramatic transformation for a character who had previously remained on the periphery. Fisher was cast as Holly Wheeler, the younger sister of main characters Mike Wheeler and Nancy Wheeler, a role that had previously been played by twins Anniston and Tinsley Price in seasons 1–4.

From Background Character to Protagonist

The show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, recast the role because the character required a larger presence and more maturity for the final season’s storyline, which explores themes of lost innocence. Holly’s been important but on the periphery, and this season, Holly becomes a protagonist. The season’s second episode is titled ‘The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler’, which references the show’s pilot episode, ‘The Vanishing of Will Byers’.

A Dangerous Journey Through the Upside Down

Set on November 3, 1987, the storyline focuses on the disappearance of Holly Wheeler following an attack on her home by a demogorgon from the Upside Down. Max and Holly are attempting to make their way out of Vecna’s mental landscape, where the former has been trapped for two years. Vecna does not kill Holly, as he needs her to fulfil his plan with all twelve vessels.

Why Holly Matters

Executive producer Shawn Levy stated that the season centres on Holly to emphasise the show’s focus on vulnerability. The character’s evolution represents a return to the series’ core themes of childhood innocence confronting supernatural horror. Nell Fisher, the 14-year-old British actor who plays an adolescent version of Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things 5, joined the cast knowing she would be portraying a very different side of the character than fans had previously seen. As the final season unfolds with its finale scheduled for New Year’s Eve 2025, Holly Wheeler’s role proves essential to understanding the show’s enduring message about growing up in extraordinary circumstances.