‘Stranger Things’ Cast: Then and Now (PHOTOS)

It’s been nearly a decade since Stranger Things hit our Netflix screens for the first time back in 2016, and the adorable child stars we first met over nine years ago are now all grown up, as photos of the cast of Stranger Things then and now prove. (Do you feel old? We feel old.)

Inspired by the works of Steven Spielberg, Stephen King, David Lynch and more, the Duffer Brothers’ smash coming-of-age sci-fi horror series made its debut on streaming on July 15, 2016. It’s hard to imagine anyone knew back then just how big a pop culture juggernaut the nostalgic, 1980s-set show would become, but it didn’t take long for Stranger Things to blow up in the television zeitgeist and beyond.

Since its premiere, Stranger Things has transformed into an entire multi-media franchise, including a Broadway show, multiple novels, comic books and a forthcoming animated spinoff series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85. And that’s not even including all the merchandise, collaborations, brand tie-ins and pop-up events inspired by Netflix’s tentpole show.

READ MORE: Stranger Things Season 5 Trailer Teases Big Will Byers Revelation

Meanwhile, its youngest cast members have gone on to have impressive careers thanks to their respective breakout roles on the hit series, from landing multi-project movie deals to building flourishing music careers, starring in critically acclaimed indie films and more.

As Stranger Things moves into its long-awaited final season, and the story fans have been following for the past decade comes to an epic conclusion, we’re feeling extra nostalgic for the early days of the show — and even more curious about what the original core cast is up to nearly 10 years later.

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