Matthew Modine, known for his role as Papa in Stranger Things, expresses disappointment with the finale and wishes for Confrmity Gate to be real “for the fans.”

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Matthew Modine, known for his role as Papa in Stranger Things, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the series finale and hopes that fan theories circulating online hold some truth.

When asked about his feelings on the finale via Instagram, Modine simply replied, “Nope.” In response to another fan’s comment about whether Papa believes in the rumored episode 9, he said, “Hoping so for the fans.” This exchange was later shared on Twitter.

Modine first appeared in season 1 as Doctor Martin Brenner, or Papa, the adoptive father figure to Eleven and the other test subjects. He was the head of Hawkins Lab, overseeing experiments on children with special abilities, including Eleven and One, also known as Vecna. However, Brenner met his end at the conclusion of season 4, leaving Modine out of the final season.

Regarding the rumored episode, known as Conformity Gate, Modine has shown support for the fan theory for some time. On January 29, he shared a clip of himself as Brenner with the caption, “Waiting,” likely referencing the anticipation for the supposed ninth episode.

For those unfamiliar with Conformity Gate, fans speculated in January that the Stranger Things season 5 finale was a ruse orchestrated by Vecna, with a true finale on the way. This theory emerged from dissatisfaction with the actual ending, leading fans to predict a secret ninth episode would be released in January, which ultimately did not happen.

While other cast members, including Joe Keery and Jamie Campbell-Bower, have dismissed the theory, some fans remain convinced that the story isn’t finished. However, there’s still something to look forward to: the animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, is set to premiere on Netflix on April 23, bridging the gap between seasons 2 and 3.

You can currently binge the entire Stranger Things series on Netflix.