Any “A Wrinkle in Time” fans in the house?

Who is Mr. Whatsit in Stranger Things season 5? The truth behind Holly’s imaginary friend

Any "A Wrinkle in Time" fans in the house?

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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December 5, 2025 5:02 p.m. ET

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Mr. Whatsit and Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) in 'Stranger Things' season 5. Credit:

- *Stranger Things *season 5, Volume 1 premiered on Netflix on Nov. 26.

- The season's early episodes introduce the mysterious Mr. Whatsit.

- The character's name is a reference to Madeleine L'Engle's classic fantasy novel *A Wrinkle in Time*.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for *Stranger Things* season 5.**

*Stranger Things *season 5, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix, and it wastes no time throwing viewers back into a fractured Hawkins, Ind.

As the core group is busy searching for an ominously absent Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), something strange is unfolding in town. Holly (Nell Fisher), the youngest kid in the Wheeler clan, is speaking with an "imaginary friend" named Mr. Whatsit, who turns out to not be so imaginary after all.

So, who is Mr. Whatsit? And how does he connect to Vecna? Read on as * *answers those questions and more.

Who is Mr. Whatsit in *Stranger Things *season 5?

Holly (Nell Fisher) chats with Mr. Whatsit outside of school in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

"The Crawl," the season 5 premiere, finds Holly gushing about her new imaginary friend, Mr. Whatsit. His name is a nod to *A Wrinkle in Time*, the classic Madeleine L'Engle fantasy novel in which a young girl is guided through a cosmic adventure by the kind and mysterious Mrs. Whatsit. Holly is seen reading the book in the early episodes.

Holly chats with her companion outside of her school, and we briefly catch a glimpse of him in an old-fashioned brown suit. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), who knows that "imaginary friends" aren't to be trusted in a place like Hawkins, is concerned, but Holly assures him that Mr. Whatsit is just looking out for her.

"He's only trying to help," she insists. "He says there are monsters in Hawkins, and they like to eat kids like me." And sure enough, one of those monsters soon shows up at her door.

How is Mr. Whatsit connected to Vecna?

Jamie Campbell Bower as Mr. Whatsit in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

It's not *Stranger Things*' most surprising twist, but Mr. Whatsit is* *actually* *Vecna manifesting as Henry Creel, the telepath who, like Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), was experimented upon by Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine). After being banished by Eleven to Dimension X, Henry transformed into the creature we know as Vecna.

Vecna uses this friendly guise to manipulate and lure the Hawkins kids, presenting himself as a protector while infiltrating their minds and drawing them into danger.

Noah Schnapp unpacks Will's powerful *Stranger Things 5*, Volume 1 cliffhanger: 'A whiplash of a reveal for me'

What happened to Max on *Stranger Things 5*? Sadie Sink finally talks about the big reveal

Holly is one of those kids, and the season's second episode sees a Demogorgon whisking her off to the Upside Down after severely injuring her parents, Karen (Cara Buono) and Ted (Joe Chrest).

Though *we* know she's being held captive in the Upside Down, Holly wakes to find herself in a cozy, well-lit home that viewers should recognize as the Creel house. There, she believes she's safe from whatever it is terrorizing Hawkins.

While exploring the neighborhood around the home, which she dubs Camazotz (another *Wrinkle in Time* reference), Holly stumbles upon Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), who's been in a coma since the season 4 finale.

This version of Max tells Holly that they are trapped inside Vecna's memories — or, as she puts it, "Vecna's prison."**

What does Mr. Whatsit/Vecna plan to do with the kids?

Mr. Whatsit (Jamie Campbell Bower) stalks Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly) at school in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

The connection Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has to the Upside Down's hive mind allows him to see Mr. Whatsit/Vecna's next moves. When he realizes that Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly) is the next victim, Will and the gang manage to save the boy from a Demogorgon sent to abduct him.

But the danger is far from over. By the end of "Sorcerer," the final episode in Volume 1, Vecna ditches the Mr. Whatsit disguise completely, arriving in Hawkins in his monstrous (and bulked-up) form with a pack of Demogorgons, who kidnap his remaining targets, including Derek.

Before heading back to the Upside Down, Vecna lays out his grand plan to Will. He wants to reshape the world using 12 children he calls "perfect vessels," as they can be molded and controlled to carry out his vision. Will's abduction way back in season 1, we learn, showed Vecna what was possible.**

Where can I watch Stranger Things?

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

*Stranger Things* *5 *Volume 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

Volume 2 will arrive on Christmas Day. The series finale, "The Rightside Up," premieres on New Year's Eve and will play theatrically in over 500 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

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