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Stranger Things 4 Actor Admits Freddy Krueger Influenced Vecna


The long-awaited fourth season of the critically-acclaimed series Stranger Things is finally available to binge on Netflix. Featuring the return of the beloved Hawkins crew, the show also introduced the final yet most menacing villain, Vecna.

It's undeniably clear that Vecna serves as the most horrifying villain of the show, which indicates that he won't be just another regular villain that the fans have seen. And based on the show’s Volume 1, Vecna is a well-written villain, who is articulate and driven to prey on his victims in his own dimension, much like A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger.

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In a recent interview with EW, Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1's Jamie Campbell Bower who plays the show's sinister villain Vecna, admits A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger's influence on his villainous character. After admitting that he took inspiration from the character, Bower went on to explain how he wanted Vecna to be a more driven villain instead of being chaotic like Freddy Krueger.

"I was like, 'Yeah, Hellraiser, I'll take a bit of that, a little bit of Freddy [Krueger],'" Bower said. "But not too much Freddy, because the way Robert [Englund] played Freddy, there was a chaotic energy. With Vecna, I saw this resentment, this really built-up anger. You know when you get so angry, you start shaking you're trying to hold it together? That's what I took."

People might find the resemblance between Vecna and Freddy Krueger because they both slay their victims in their own dimensions. Aside from that, Robert Englund, who plays Freddy Krueger on A Nightmare on Elm Street even made an appearance on the show as Victor Creel.

Introducing Vecna as the main villain for the finale also marks a big significance for the show. During Seasons 1 to 3, the series focused more on evil creatures as villains from the Upside Down whereas Vecna has a humane instinct filled with rage that certainly makes the villain more dangerous. Given how the show's first volume concluded, it looks like the Hawkins crew is in so much trouble because Vecna is the ideal villain who can go against Eleven.

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is now available to stream on Netflix, while Volume 2 arrives on July 1.

Also Read: Stranger Things 4: Producer Shawn Levy Addresses Speculations About Will's Sexuality

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