Stranger Things actor Jamie Campbell Bower has made his Broadway debut, reprising his character Henry Creel aka Vecna, in the Tony Award–winning play Stranger Things: The First Shadow at NYC’s Marquis Theatre.
On Friday, the 37-year-old actor made a surprise appearance during the final scene of the play as Henry, the first child taken by Dr Brenner, who eventually becomes Stranger Things’s main antagonist, Vecna.
Set in 1959 in Hawkins, Indiana, The First Shadow takes place 24 years before the events of Season 1. The play reveals how Henry Creel (later known as Vecna) acquired his psychokinetic abilities.
Before moving to Hawkins, the Creels lived in Nevada near a military base conducting covert experiments on parallel universes in the early 1940s.
However, the play is more than just a companion piece to the popular Duffer Brothers-created sci-fi show. It provides essential clues about Vecna’s past that feed directly into the show’s canon.
“I’m honoured to have been asked to do it… I’ve been so fortunate to see First Shadow twice, both in London and when it opened here. It’s both a very bizarre and beautiful experience to see it, so to wrap up my journey with Stranger Things by doing this, it’s really cool,” Jamie told Tudum.
The cast of the stage production includes Louis McCartney as the young Henry Creel, Oscar Lloyd as James Hopper Jr, Isabella Pappas as Joyce Maldonado, Christopher Buckley as Bob Newby, Patrick Vaill as Dr Brenner, Ella Karuna Williams as Patty Newby, and Michael Jibson as Victor Creel.
Jamie also talked about his experience of sharing the stage with actor Louis McCartney.
“I love Louis. I remember seeing that first preview in London and just being so blown away by what he was doing. And I love Henry, so to see someone like Louis who has also taken great care of this character feels so lovely,” he said.
Jamie added, “He’s definitely taken certain things that I did with Henry and brought them into his portrayal and also created something that is uniquely his own, which is beautiful.”
In April this year, Netflix released a documentary about the play’s creation. Titled Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things The First Shadow, it is available to stream on the platform.
Meanwhile, the second volume of Stranger Things Season 5 will premiere on Netflix on 26 December in India. The series finale will drop on 1 January, 2026.