WARNING: There are MAJOR SPOILERS for Stranger Things 4 in this story. The shocking events of Stranger Things 4 have left many fans feeling saddened about the fate of fan favorite character Eddie Munson. Played by Joseph Quinn, Eddie was someone fans had really taken to in the fourth season of the hit Netflix series. When the show debuted its final two episodes of the season this month, fans had to say goodbye to Eddie when the Metallica fan sacrifices himself to save Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo).
But tens of thousands of fans, at the very least, are not ready to say farewell to Eddie. A popular petition demanding the return of the character has been established, and as of this writing, more than 43,000 Stranger Things fans have added their signatures. The petition clarifies that the goal is for Eddie to be resurrected with the character actually brought back from the dead rather than simply having Quinn cameo in the role for a flashback sequence.
The description for the petition, which you can find at Change.org, reads: "This is a petition I have started to bring back fan favourite Eddie Munson. The Duffer Brothers have unfairly killed him off and many other fans and I think he deserves to be brought back and not just as a flashback, please sign this petition to spread awareness."
For what it's worth, Quinn is open to any kind of a return, whether it's through a flashback or, presumably, with Eddie getting resurrected. He recently told THR, "You know, anything is possible, and I’d be up for anything. So yeah, we’ll see."
Stranger Things Fans Previously Called for Justice Over a Fan Favorite's Death
Stranger Things fans expressing unhappiness over a character's death is not anything new. In the show's first season, which debuted on Netflix in 2016, Shannon Purser played the role of Barbara "Barb" Holland. Barb is abducted early on by a monster dubbed the Demogorgon with her body discovered several episodes later, and many viewers felt that the character had been given the raw deal by the show's creators.
This created a social media movement known as #JusticeForBarb with fans everywhere demanding the fan favorite get justice to make killing her off more acceptable. Purser was nomianted for Barb at the Emmys and said at the time that she considered this to be "justice for Barb," happy with how popular the character was despite her limited time on the screen.
"I'm amazing!" Purser exclaimed in 2017, per Entertainment Tonight. "I don't see how it could get much better than this, for sure. It's been really sweet to see how many people are excited and you know, encouraging me. So yeah, it's incredible."
She added, "I mean, honestly, it's a little bit scary, but I think it's kind of a good thing. It really gives me some faith in myself and my abilities and it's incredible. It really is such an honor, and it's kind of the cliche, but even to be nominated is such an incredible thing. I think it really kind of just helps invalidate some of the insecurities I've had about my abilities. It's really just incredible."
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.