After Dr. Sam Owens’ status was left unclear after season 4, Stranger Things actor Paul Reiser discusses whether he might return in season 5. Since 2017, Reiser has played the scientist in the Netflix series. After the release of seasons 4 in May and July of 2022, Stranger Things season 5 is now being developed.
Dr. Sam Owens, who debuted in season 2, took over as Hawkins Lab’s director after the events of season 1 to replace Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine). Owens helped Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), and the rest of the crew shut down the gate while keeping an eye on the growth of the larger Mothergate and the condition of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) after his exposure to the Upside Down. He also brought the military in to shut down the Soviet Union’s operations in Hawkins, which made him an ally of the group. Throughout season 4, while followed by Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan (Sherman Augustus) and the US army, Owens and Brenner assist Eleven in regaining control over her telekinetic abilities through the Nina Project.
Although Sullivan and the troops finally caught up to the scientists at the Hawkins Lab, Owens’ fate was left unresolved, and Reiser now discusses what happened to his character. The actor is questioned on whether he would reprise his role as Dr. Owens in Stranger Things season 5 in an interview with E! Online. The actor responds candidly, admitting he wasn’t sure whether he would be back for season 5. Reiser even makes fun of the fact that he tweeted the Stranger Things authors to inquire if Owens had survived the events of season 4.
Even though the Duffer Brothers previously confirmed that Brenner was killed by sniper fire while carrying Eleven in season 4, Owens’ climactic sequences in the most recent season left Reiser’s character’s future uncertain. Owens is found by Sullivan and his men inside the Nina project bunker after Brenner temporarily imprisons him there. There, he begs the Lt. Col. to collaborate with him in helping Eleven learn how to fight Vecna. While the doctor informs Sullivan that he has doomed them all and Sullivan rejects Owens’ offer, his destiny is left unresolved because the character isn’t seen again for the remainder of the season. It may be presumed that Sullivan and the US Army are keeping Owens in captivity as they contend with the threat posed by the recently opened enormous gate in Hawkins since he is one of the few humans still alive with knowledge about Hawkins Lab’s research and the Upside Down.
While many of Stranger Things’ most talked-about ongoing mysteries have been resolved and the fates of several fan favorites have been sealed, season 4 still left viewers with unanswered problems that season 5 will need to fix. One such mystery is Owens’ whereabouts. While Brenner and Sullivan’s attack on the US Army left few survivors and even represents favorites the on-screen death of a significant figure, Owens, the show avoided depicting what happened to Owens after his and the Lt. Colfinal .’s talk. Reiser is willing to go back, and the threat of the Upside Down is bigger than ever, so Owens’ skill might be crucial to how the Netflix series ends.