Netflix recently released the official trailer for Stranger Things season 4 and everyone is hyped for the fourth chapter in the thrilling science-fiction saga. In the three-minute-long trailer, we see Hopper incarcerated in a Russian compound, Eleven and Will trying to navigate life away from Hawkins, and the remaining Hawkins residents preparing for the fight of their lives against Vecna — the latest monstrosity to come from the Upside Down. We know who Vecna is, and we know how he was made for television, but even more fascinating details have emerged regarding Robert Englund’s otherworldly overlord.
Where Stranger Things 3 left off, Hopper was believed to be dead, forcing Joyce Byers to essentially adopt Eleven. She, Joyce, Will and Jonathan moved to California to get away from Hawkins, leaving Mike, Lucas, Max, Dustin, Steve and Nancy behind. Now, Eleven’s telekinetic powers will be needed again as a mysterious new monster, Vecna, threatens the very safety of civilization.
Per a new group interview attended by entertainment publications including Entertainment Weekly, production designer Barrie Gower describes the overall look for Vecna (Robert Englund) and explains how environmental exposure to be explained in the new season was factored in to generate the final appearance.
So, the look for Vecna is, he’s humanoid but we are basically integrating lots of shapes and textures and form … there’s a lot of roots and vines and very organic shapes and fibrous muscle tissue and what have you.
Even from 2016 to 2022, Netflix’s Stranger Things has improved its CGI effects massively. From finding their feet to having coherent concepts and awe-inspiring special effects, the production team has gained valuable experience over the last six years, granting them the ability to broaden their horizons and try out new and exciting character designs. Vecna looks polished, terrifying and completely relevant in this topsy-turvy world where flesh-eating monsters carry out the every whim of an all-powerful being known as the Mind Flayer. For all we know, Vecna could be the condensed, personified form of the Mind Flayer — or entirely unrelated — but only time will reveal all.
Stranger Things 4 will be split into two parts with volume one airing on May 27, 2022 and the second airing six weeks later on July 1, 2022.
Update April 20 1:44pm CT: This story originally had a link to a ScreenRant article that contained the quote, which is no longer an active article on the site.