Then and now pics of the Stranger Things kids prove just how long we’ve been waiting for season five

Stranger Things first hit our screens in 2016, and back then, the kids were battling Demogorgons while doing their homework. Now, they’re actual adults with full-blown careers, graduation caps, and skincare routines. And we’re still here waiting for season five like it’s stuck in the Upside Down.

Seriously, by the time it comes out, the cast will have kids of their own, and we’ll be getting nostalgic about them. So, let’s take a trip back to season one and look at just how much the Stranger Things gang has grown up since their bike-riding, nosebleed-filled days.

Millie Bobby Brown

via Netflix/Instagram

Millie played Eleven and was just 12 when the show started. The buzzcut! The waffles! Iconic. She’s now 21 and happily married. Eleven may not have had a normal childhood, but Millie definitely made up for it by becoming a global star, producer and business owner, all before 22.

Finn Wolfhard

via Netflix/Instagram

Finn, who played the ever-loyal Mike Wheeler, was 13 in season one. He’s now 22 and looks exactly like the guy who’d be in an indie band (which, fun fact, he actually is). He’s also racked up quite the filmography. Hawkins really was just the start.

Noah Schnapp

via Netflix/Instagram

Noah was 11 when he first played Will Byers, the original missing kid in Stranger Things. He’s now 20, attends college, and has come out as gay.

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Caleb McLaughlin

via Netflix/Instagram

Caleb, aka Lucas Sinclair, was 14 in the first season and is now 23. He’s been booked and busy, appearing in films and releasing music. He was cool on the show, but he’s even cooler now in real life. It’s wild how much he’s grown, both literally and career-wise.

Gaten Matarazzo

via Netflix/Instagram

Gaten played the loveable Dustin and was 13 at the time. Now 22, he still keeps that same energy and the best comedic timing of the group. He’s also gone back to his theatre roots, which makes total sense because Dustin always did have main character energy.

Sadie Sink

via Netflix/Instagram

Sadie joined the show in season two as Max Mayfield and quickly became a fan favourite with her skateboarding and attitude. She was 15 when she joined and is now 23. She’s gone on to star in films, red carpets, and somehow always looks like she stepped out of a Vogue editorial.

Priah Ferguson

via Netflix/Instagram

Priah played Erica Sinclair, Lucas’s iconic younger sister. She joined the show at 11 and stole every scene she was in. She’s now 18 and just graduated high school. So proud, even though she’d probably tell us to “keep our nerdy drama to ourselves.”

Stranger Things season four is available on Netflix. For all the latest Netflix news, quizzes, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.