Jamie Campbell Bower surprises “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” audience by reprising TV role on Broadway
- - Jamie Campbell Bower surprises “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” audience by reprising TV role on Broadway
Nick RomanoDecember 20, 2025 at 3:55 AM
0
NETFLIX Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven on 'Stranger Things' season 4Key Points -
Jamie Campbell Bower made his Broadway debut by surprising the audience of Stranger Things: The First Shadow as adult Henry Creel.
The actor behind TV's Vecna/Henry came out on stage during the prequel play's ending moments.
The surprise cameo further emphasizes the connective threads between the play and season 5 of the series.
By surprising the audience of Stranger Things: The First Shadow in New York City, Jamie Campbell Bower just made his Broadway debut.
Friday night's performance of the stage play/prequel to Netflix's Stranger Things turned into a special event. Bower, who portrays Vecna/Henry Creel/One on the hit streaming drama series, shocked those inside Manhattan's Marquis Theatre by coming out at the very end to cameo as adult Henry.
Typically, it's actor Louis McCartney who performs as Henry from start to finish. But in the play's ending moment, which ties into the events of Stranger Things, Campbell himself emerged on stage to reprise his TV role for a scene that involves Henry meeting a young Eleven for the very first time in Dr. Brenner's lab.
Jenny Anderson/Netflix
Jamie Campbell Bower meets 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Henry actor Louis McCartney
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which originated on London's West End before transferring to Broadway, tells the story of how a young Henry Creel first moved with his family to Hawkins, Ind., inciting a series of...well, strange occurrences that draw Dr. Brenner to him. Younger versions of Joyce Maldonado, Jim Hopper Jr., Bob Newby, and Karen (Childress) and Ted Wheeler also feature in the narrative.
Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin direct the play, which was written by Stranger Things scribe Kate Trefry, who was involved in the season 5 writers' room.
Bower is now the second Stranger Things star from the TV series to be involved in The First Shadow. Alex Breaux currently portrays Brenner on the Broadway stage, but he also appears in season 5 as Lieutenant Robert Akers.
The Bower surprise cameo further emphasizes the connection between Stranger Things: The First Shadow and the fifth and final season of the series. The first four episodes of season 5, branded as Volume 1, showed Max (Sadie Sink) perusing Vecna's memories from 1959 Hawkins, which is the setting of the stage play.
Courtesy of Netflix
Jamie Campbell Bower's Henry Creel in 'Stranger Things' season 5, Volume 2
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer told Entertainment Weekly that the rest of the season will continue to cover the events of The First Shadow.
"A lot of the stuff that's covered in the Broadway show is covered in the final season, as well," Matt said. "Actually, we had to block the Broadway show producers a lot from putting in too much material that we were gonna have in season 5 because we did not want it to be too spoilery."
Volume 2 brings episodes 5-7 to Netflix on Christmas Day, followed by the series finale in select theaters and on streaming New Year's Eve.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
