Will Billy Hargrove be in Stranger Things season 4? The speculation and rumors, explained

Stranger Things season four is officially set to premiere on Netflix later this month, and one of the most intriguing aspects surrounding the fourth season is which characters — either new or returning — will make an appearance. With ominous characters like Robert Englund’s Victor Creel and monstrous villain Vecna prepared to debut in the sci-fi hit, many fans continue to speculate as to whether bad-boy-turned-fan-favorite Billy Hargrove will make an appearance in the newest season.

In the jaw-dropping finale of season three, Billy suffered a tragic demise at the hands of The Mind Flayer while attempting to protect Eleven. Before his death, Billy underwent arguably the most significant character development in the entire series thus far. In the end, Billy died a hero while protecting Eleven — and undoubtedly his step-sister Max — as a sacrifice for the Hawkins gang to gain the upperhand over the monstrous villain.

Billy’s death was undoubtedly a bittersweet moment in Stranger Things — with many fans split down the middle over determining if Billy was a good guy or a bad guy. While Billy Hargrove is canonically deceased, there are a healthy dose of sprinkled breadcrumbs in the trailer that hint at a possible return.

Will Billy be in season four?

In the action-packed trailer for the fourth season, eagle-eyed viewers are immediately presented with an emotional scene of Max sitting in front of step-brother Billy’s grave — which includes his birth and death dates, along with a “gone but not forgotten” message, which effectively reminds viewers of Billy’s selfless behavior in the season three finale.

Max is undoubtedly dealing with the grief of losing Billy, as she reads a handwritten letter that she wrote to her brother — which highlights the season four episode entitled “Dear Billy.” While many fans are convinced Billy will be featured in the episode in only minuscule glimpses in flashbacks, others are confident that Billy will make a triumphant return. Even more so, many people believe that Billy is actually the new villain Vecna, and that the monster took Billy’s human form in the Upside Down and transformed into a disastrous creature.

Throughout the trailer, several glances at Vecna establish a more humanistic form compared to monsters like The Demogorgon and The Mind Flayer. Vecna’s lifelike appearance has convinced many fans that the monster possibly possessed Billy’s body in the Upside Down and was able to take on his human form.

Additionally, this Reddit thread has hinted at the possibility of the Duffer Brothers featuring Billy’s grave as a way of foreshadowing that the character, in fact, is not dead. On top of that, Dacre Montgomery, who portrays Billy, posted a cryptic photo on Instagram that showcases him in Stranger Things-esque prosthetics — only further adding fuel to the fiery rumors of Billy’s re-emergence in the fourth season.

With speculation running rampant, find out for yourself if Billy returns in the fourth season of Stranger Things, with Vol. 1 arriving on Netflix on May 27.

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