Jamie Campbell Bower is preparing for his final journey as the ultimate villain, Vecna, in Stranger Things season 5, and he’s ready to step away from dark roles for a while. At MegaCon Orlando on February 9, the actor shared his thoughts on the emotional toll playing such intense characters can take on his mental health. He revealed that his experience portraying villains like Vecna has left a lasting impact on him, prompting him to take a break from these kinds of roles.
During a panel, Bower admitted to his therapist that playing “bad guys” was affecting him more than he anticipated. “Like it f—s me up. I’m dead serious,” he confessed, emphasizing how deeply the role affected him. While he acknowledged that playing Vecna in Stranger Things was an incredible experience, he’s now ready to “hang up the foam latex” and bid the character a slippery farewell.
Bower’s portrayal of Vecna has been a standout in the Netflix series, but he’s ready to explore different types of roles in the future. The actor noted that while he might be typecast in villain roles, he’s eager to take a step back from that archetype and focus on roles that don’t leave such an emotional imprint.
Stranger Things season 5, which is set to be the final chapter of the series, is described as “big and epic” by co-creator Matt Duffer, and according to Ross Duffer, it will be the “biggest” season yet in terms of scale. The final season is expected to be released in late 2025, wrapping up the beloved story of Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and the rest of the crew as they battle the supernatural forces threatening Hawkins.