Stranger Things VFX director reveals they explored around 100 designs before finalizing Vecna’s look, with some early concepts drawing inspiration from Hellraiser.

The Stranger Things documentary has dropped, and it highlights just how much more terrifying Vecna could have appeared on screen.

In the documentary, VFX Art Director Michael Maher Jr. shares that the team explored “maybe 100 different looks” for Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower). Among these concepts was one that clearly drew inspiration from the Cenobite known as Chatterer, who communicates solely through the sound of his clicking teeth. Another design featured Vecna in a cloak, which feels a bit on the nose given his role in bringing doom to everyone. There was also a version that resembled the Mind Flayer, complete with some spider-like appendages.

“Finally, we used some vines as a diseased aspect, and it clicked,” Maher explains.

It’s interesting to note that the Vecna from Stranger Things shares some similarities with his Dungeons and Dragons counterpart. In various designs from the tabletop game, Vecna is depicted as quite skeletal, often with a rib cage appearance, bright red eyes, and a mask or headpiece. The Mind Flayer’s D&D version leans more towards a cephalopod look, combining elements of Dracula with a squid.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is now available for streaming, and no, there isn’t a ninth episode or Conformity Gate.