Matthew Modine, star of films like Full Metal Jacket and Oppenheimer, has become even better known for playing Dr. Martin Brenner on Netflix’s Stranger Things. At least, that was until Season 4, when Brenner was shot and killed by the Army when he tried to escape with Eleven. But according to Modine, Brenner may not be as dead as we thought. Could this mean the character will return for the fifth and final season, set to premiere sometime in 2025?

By this point, all deaths in Stranger Things are important. Not only because it means things are coming to an end in the beloved series, but because after 34 episodes (it feels like we have seen much more), we’ve grown fond of almost every character. Brenner wasn’t a darling; he was always painted as a villain. But in Season 4, we couldn’t help but wipe away our tears when he took his last breath.

However, per Modine’s latest Instagram post, he’s currently shooting something that requires heavy makeup and possible prosthetics. The caption reads: #strangerthings5 #bts #drmartinbrenner #papa #indestructible, and Modine is shown nefariously cackling as any good villain would. If we’re to take the hashtags seriously, then this means the character’s returning, albeit not in the same form we saw him before. The makeup of an old man could mean his return will be in a dream sequence, or in Eleven’s bizarre void realm.

Throughout the entire series, Dr. Brenner was a father figure to Eleven when she was imprisoned in the facility, where she was experimented on by Brenner and where she experienced her powers for the first time. Brenner actually “died” in Season 1 when attacked by the Demogorgon, but he returned in Season 4 for a series of crucial episodes.

What Could Papa Brenner’s Return Mean for ‘Stranger Things’?

While the character wasn’t exactly a fan favorite, he was also heavily featured in flashback scenes in Season 4 when Henry Creel ultimately became Vecna, and Brenner learned that opening the portal to the Upside Down was a disaster. His death seemed like the natural thing to do story-wise, because it was obvious that the military facility plot had to end at some point. Don’t you feel like Stranger Things isn’t quite as good when the military shows up?

Bringing him back wouldn’t be fan-service exactly, but he always adds fuel to the fire whenever Eleven’s revisiting her origins and questioning herself. However, the real and most important question is: if Brenner returns, who else could? It’s time to start juggling some theories about the return of beloved characters in the series finale. Bob Newby, Barb, Billy, and Sam were all at some point very prominent, with many fans questioning their early exits from the show.

But let’s address the one character return everyone’s hoping for: All fingers are crossed for the writers to come up with a good reason to bring Eddie Munson back from the grave. He’s the most beloved supporting character of all, so it’s hard to imagine that the writers haven’t kicked around a way to bring him back. Can’t you just imagine Eddie wielding an axe in the Upside Down? It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.