Stranger Things Season 5 finale accused of using AI in credits

These claims from fans have since been debunked, but they show how averse people are to AI usage in their favourite media.
Text: Alex Hopley
Published 2026-01-02

With generative AI image creation only improving in recent years, and many TV series, movies, and games looking like they may have used the technology, it's hard for consumers not to get concerned when they see something that's out of place. Even in a production that cost hundreds of millions of dollars, like the latest season of Stranger Things.

When the finale wrapped up on New Year's Eve, we were played out by David Bowie's heroes and shown a collection of art depicting moments from the series. One image in particular sent people into a frenzy online, as it appeared to have a weird recreation of Nancy's fingers when she first grabs a revolver in Season 1.

However, while the speculation of Stranger Things using AI certainly caused some eyebrows to raise, this accusation is false. Stranger Things did not use AI to create the art of Nancy Wheeler and her revolver. It is believed that this art was created by Kyle Lambert, who made the official Stranger Things posters in the past. They're also believed to be exact traces of the scenes they're depicting.

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The original Reddit post sparking this controversy has since been removed, and while Netflix or anyone representing the show have yet to comment, it seems we can safely remove this issue from the table.

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