Caleb McLaughlin has given a reality check to fans who are holding on to the “Conformity Gate” theory following the finale of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things on December 31st, 2025.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on February 11th, 2026, to promote his animated movie GOAT, Caleb McLaughlin had this to say about “Conformity Gate”: “At first, I thought the ‘Conformity Gate’ theory was dumb. I get that people want to live in this optimistic place of ‘Oh, we want more Stranger Things,’ but the show is done, guys. I was like, ‘Guys, it’s over. It’s been ten years. We were full-on kids, and now we’re full-on adults, and we don’t need any more of us.’” The statement by Caleb McLaughlin has put to rest speculations about a ninth episode of Stranger Things.
What is “Conformity Gate”?
The Conformity Gate theory resulted from fan dissatisfaction with the finale’s 35-minute epilogue set in 1989. Some fans thought it was “too perfect,” speculating that Vecna had cast an illusion spell on all the Duffer Brothers’ heroes to force them into conformity. Others thought Netflix had planned to release a “real ending” one week later.
Other clues cited included the brief “glitch” of Eleven’s finger in the final scene, the radio dial being black in one shot and red in another, and the Dungeons & Dragons books in Mike’s basement supposedly reading “X A LIE.” Scenes of graduation with characters holding hands were also cited as parallels to the submissive pose of Henry Creel in the show. The strong references to “A Wrinkle in Time”—particularly the obsessive conformity of the world of Camazotz—were also part of the theory’s name.
McLaughlin has since revealed that the fans got the tone of the finale wrong. “We started off season one playing Dungeons & Dragons, and we ended just like that. And Mike’s storytelling and writing ability [that’s rooted in D&D] is how the show should have ended. I think people missed the concept of what the show is when they were like, “Oh, there’s going to be more.” With the optimistic D&D scene being “just Mike’s imagination. That’s who he’s always been, even in season one. It’s all just storytelling.” It’s also been confirmed, with co-star Sadie Sink, that Eleven is gone, with McLaughlin stating, “Yeah, she’s gone. I’m so sorry. I think she evaporated.” The theory was at its strongest on January 7, 2026, with thousands of fans, citing the Rule of 7 dice, expecting an unknown part of the story to drop at midnight, with increased traffic causing Netflix to be taken offline in parts of the U.K. and the U.S. for almost 40 minutes. However, with nothing being revealed, the fans’ hopes quickly turned to outrage.
While co-star Matthew Modine has stated he hopes the theory is true “for the fans,” McLaughlin’s position is quite different, with the story, like Hawkins’ D&D games, having rolled its final dice.
