How old is Nancy in Stranger Things season4?

As Stranger Things season 4 takes Hawkins into another era of Upside Down investigations, here’s a look at how old every character is in the new installment. With Stranger Things season 4 debuting three years after season 3 ended in 2019, the ages of the characters clearly don’t reflect those of the actors. While many of the younger cast members like Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp were close in age to their characters in Stranger Things season 1, the large gaps between installments, especially before season 4, have led every actor to become much older than their characters.

The different age groups in Stranger Things help appeal to a broad range of viewers at home, which is part of what made the series so popular after it first debuted. Stranger Things began with three distinct groups: The Party, which featured the middle-school-aged kids; the older high schoolers with Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy; then the parents with Hopper and Joyce. The sheer number of characters and blending of groups have increased since Stranger Things season 1 ended, with season 4 seeing all of the notable figures grow closer to adulthood and out of the innocence of small-town suburbia.

Thankfully, in order to adjust to the time gaps between seasons, Stranger Things’ installments typically begin with a significant time jump from the previous season’s finale. Stranger Things season 4’s time jump has already been revealed by the trailers, with the series including events from the spring of 1986 after season 3 ended on July 4, 1985. Although six years have passed in the real world since Stranger Things season 1 premiered, much less time has passed in Hawkins heading into Stranger Things season 4.

Eleven

Although the exact date of Eleven’s birth is unknown, Stranger Things revealed that the character was born in 1971. As such, Eleven was 12 years old in season 1 (1983), 13 in season 2 (1984), and 14 in season 3 (1985), with her ages corresponding to those of the boys in The Party. Since Stranger Things season 4’s timeline is seemingly set in the spring of 1986, Eleven will be 15 years old as she experiences her freshman year in high school. In comparison, Eleven actor Millie Bobby Brown will be 18 years old when both volumes of Stranger Things season 4 premiere.

Jim Hopper

Stranger Things’ dad figure is still in his 40s during season 4, but Hopper’s time doing labor in a Russian prison is apt to make him feel much older. Although Stranger Things’ series hasn’t quite revealed his age, the canon book Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town reveals that he was 35 years old in 1977. Adding another 9 years onto this to correlate to the spring 1986 timeline, Jim Hopper will be 44 years old in Stranger Things season 4. While David Harbour began Stranger Things slightly younger than his character, the actor will be 46 when season 4 drops, making him only two years older than Hopper.

Mike Wheeler

Just like his girlfriend Eleven, Mike Wheeler was born in 1971, making him 12 years old when Stranger Things season 1’s madness begins. While his birthday was revealed as April 1, 1971 in Stranger Things’ comic books, the comics don’t appear to be canon for Netflix’s story, so his birthday may be different in the series. Either way, it can be assumed that Mike’s age will be 15 years old in Stranger Things season 4's timeline, unless the character is 14-turning-15 in the spring of 1986. Mike’s actor Finn Wolfhard, however, will be 19 years old when Stranger Things season 4 is released, making him at least four years older than his character.

Nancy Wheeler

Mike’s older sister Nancy was a sophomore in high school during Stranger Things season 1, which put her at about 15-16 years old in the fall of 1983 timeline. Since Stranger Things season 3 took place during the middle of summer in 1985, it’s assumed that Nancy was still only 17 years old as she was heading into her senior year of high school. With Stranger Things season 4 bringing her to spring 1986, it seems the investigative Nancy Wheeler will be 18 years old when the upcoming installment begins, as it’s not common for a high school senior to turn 19 years old while still in the school year. While Nancy’s age is 18, Natalia Dyer will be 27 when Stranger Things season 4 drops, at just about 9 years older than her character.

Dustin Henderson

Fan-favorite character Dustin Henderson is the same age as Mike and Eleven, which makes him 15 years old during Stranger Things season 4. While Stranger Things hasn’t officially revealed Dustin’s birthday, it’s logically assumed that he shares the same birth year as his friends of 1971. Dustin’s age in Stranger Things season 4 will only be 15, though his actor Gaten Matarazzo will be 19, reflecting the same Stranger Things character-cast age gap as Mike with Finn Wolfhard.

Will Byers

While Will has typically come off as seeming younger than the other characters his age, Stranger Things season 2 revealed his birthday as March 2, 1971, thus possibly making him even older than some of his friends. Since Spring Break for the Byers family in California will likely be sometime between mid-March and late April, it can be assumed that Will Byers will already be 15 years old by the time Stranger Things season 4’s 1986 timeline begins. As the youngest prominent cast member in Stranger Things season 1, Noah Schnapp is still the actor closest to his character’s age in season 4 given he’ll only be 17.

Jonathan Byers

Will’s older brother Jonathan Byers and Nancy are the same year in school, though his actual age is slightly easier to pin down. Jonathan is revealed to be 16 in Stranger Things season 1’s fall 1983 timeline, though he’s only a sophomore in high school. As such, it seems likely that he was born in the late summer or fall of 1967, which makes sense as to why he would still be 17 during Stranger Things’ season 2 and 3 timelines. With Stranger Things’ season 4 timeline seemingly taking place in spring 1986, Jonathan will be an 18-year-old high school senior. Charlie Heaton, however, will be 28 years old when Stranger Things season 4 debuts, making him a full decade older than his character.

Joyce Byers

Jonathan and Will’s mom Joyce is revealed to be the same age as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things season 1, with the pair often discussing their friendship in high school. Since Hopper was born in 1942, it seems Joyce likely shares the same birth year, making her also 44 years old in Stranger Things season 4. Like David Harbour, Winona Ryder was the same age as her character when Stranger Things season 1 began, but will now be three years older than her character in season 4. Interestingly, Ryder was born in 1971, meaning she was the same age in real life as the younger characters in Stranger Things’ timeline.

Lucas Sinclair

Lucas is also assumed to be born in 1971 alongside Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and Will, though Stranger Things has never officially declared his birthday. If following the same age range as his friends, Lucas will be 15 during Stranger Things season 4, with the character having an exciting time in the new installment as he joins Hawkins High’s basketball team. Caleb McLaughlin’s age will be 20 years old when Stranger Things season 4 begins, so the actor will be five years older than Lucas.

Steve Harrington

Steve “The Hair” Harrington has become one of Stranger Things’ best fan-favorite characters, with the series finding clever ways to keep him in Hawkins due to the character being older than the other teens. Steve is revealed to be one year older than Jonathan and Nancy, with the character having just graduated high school in Stranger Things season 3. In Stranger Things season 4’s spring 1986 timeline, Steve will be 19 years old. Joe Keery, on the other hand, will be 30 years old when Stranger Things season 4 drops, making him over 10 years older than his character.

Max Mayfield

Max joined Stranger Things in the season 2 premiere, quickly finding friends in the Party, with the boys all being in her same grade. Max Mayfield is also assumed to be born in 1971, which makes her four years younger than her step-brother Billy, whose March 1967 birthday was revealed in Stranger Things season 4’s official trailer. While Max will be 15 in Stranger Things season 4, Sadie Sink will be 20, which makes her 5-year age gap the same as Lucas and Caleb McLaughlin’s.

Robin Buckley

Maya Hawke’s character Robin Buckley was introduced in Stranger Things season 3 as Steve’s new coworker at Scoop’s Ahoy, though she’s mentioned to be at least a year younger than him. Since Robin was still in high school during Stranger Things season 3 yet knew everyone around Steve and Nancy’s age, it was assumed that she was in Nancy and Jonathan’s same grade. The official Stranger Things novel Rebel Robin, which was released after season 3, revealed that Robin was born in March 1968, putting her age at 18 years old during Stranger Things season 4. Maya Hawke will be 23 when the upcoming season premieres, so the actress will be about 5 years older than her character.

Erica Sinclair

The youngest character of the bunch is Lucas’ sister Erica Sinclair, who is likely in the 5th or 6th grade for Stranger Things season 4's time frame. Erica is revealed to be 10 years old in Stranger Things season 3, which means she’ll be 11 during Stranger Things season 4’s timeline. For an 11-year-old, Erica has already had a crazier life than the Party. Erica’s actress Priah Ferguson will be 15 when Stranger Things season 4 comes out, which is a pretty big difference when portraying an elementary-school-age character.

Next: Why Stranger Things Uses A Journey Song In Season 4's Trailer