The character of Steve Harrington played by Joe Keery in Stranger Things (2016-present) slowly became a fan favorite despite his unlikable character arc in season 1. He slowly evolved into a relatable and fun character for audiences to witness, especially his crackling chemistry with Gaten Matarazzo’s character Dustin. By season 4, he has become a character that fans root for and are concerned about regarding his story arc and whether he would be killed off.
But this was not the case in the first season where the character of Steve was an unlikable bully who plotted to foil the plans of the Hawkins children. He also constantly proved to be an antagonistic divide between lovers – Nancy and Jonathan. Another shocking revelation from the Duffer Brothers who are the creators of the show is that Steve was never supposed to make it past season 1.
Steve Was Originally Planned to be Killed off in Season 1
According to the creators of the show, Joe Keery and his involvement with Stranger Things was originally planned only for the first season, as he was going to be killed off in the final episodes of the season. But the Duffer Brothers were so impressed with Keery’s performance and the sincerity he brought to the role that they started to question their judgment and started to think about a potential future for the character in the coming seasons. They spoke about the same in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter saying,
“We love Joe. We fell in love with him during the making of season one, which is why we ended up writing that arc for him where he’s helping to save the day with Jonathan [Charlie Heaton] and Nancy. Steve was supposed to be this jocky douchebag, and Joe was so much more than that. We knew moving into season two we really wanted to utilize him, but we didn’t actually know how to do it — especially once Nancy moves on. We didn’t know quite what to do with him.”
Even Keery was surprised by the character’s involvement and evolution in future seasons of the show. Acknowledging it in an interview with GQ, the also fully expected his character to be killed off because he “played the douchey sort-of boyfriend, which is the first guy to die”. All thanks to the foresight of the creators, Steve would go on to become an important member of the Hawkins team and provide several hilarious and heartfelt moments with other characters like Dustin, Nancy, and Robin in future seasons of the show.
An Interesting Parallel with Breaking Bad
Steve’s eventual journey into future seasons of Stranger Things, while originally he was to be killed off in the first season is reminiscent of the fate of another popular TV character. This twist of fate perfectly parallels the story of how Aaron Paul’s character of Jesse Pinkman, who was also originally supposed to die in season 1 of Breaking Bad.
According to creator Vince Gilligan, Pinkman was supposed to die a brutal death at the end of season 1, providing a sense of immense guilt to the character of Walter White played by Bryan Cranston. But similar to Joe Keery’s case, Gilligan saw the sincerity with which Paul was portraying a flawed character like Pinkman. It became clear to him “that Aaron Paul was an absolute asset to the show”
The characters of Steve Harrington and Jesse Pinkman have become fan favorites and audiences have associated the actors with the roles to such a huge extent that it has since become the most recognizable acting roles in their respective careers.
The Future of Steve in Stranger Things
After surviving the wrath of Vecna in season 4, the potential future of Steve is uncertain at the moment. The series has gotten more intense, dark, and bold as the seasons have proceeded and there is no safety net for any of the characters going forward in season 5. Hence, one can expect prominent characters of the show to not make it past the final season, including fan favorite Steve.
All four seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix.
Also read: Everything That Is Known About Stranger Things Season 5 So Far
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
