With Stranger Things season 5 premiering on Netflix at some point in 2025, fans of the show might need a refresher on some of the recurring characters, including Ted Wheeler. Ted, who is played by Joe Chrest, has been in the series since season 1, but what do viewers know about Mike and Nancy’s dad?
Who Is Ted Wheeler in ‘Stranger Things’?
Ted is married to Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) and has three children – Nancy, Mike and Holly. So far in Stranger Things, Ted has remained seemingly willfully obtuse about the events happening in Hawkins, Indiana, and seems perfectly content to calmly read the local newspaper from his trusty recliner.
In season 3, Ted’s perpetually laid-back attitude led to Karen almost having an affair with Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery). Viewers watched Karen get ready for her date with Billy, but just before she left the house, she saw Ted and Holly cuddled up, asleep, in his recliner and realized she would be making a mistake.
By the end of Stranger Things season 4, a giant portal had opened up in Hawkins due to Vecna (Jamie Bower) and the Upside Down beginning to leak into the real world, but the local news bulletin Ted watched in the final episode blamed the mayhem on an earthquake. While Karen was visibly distraught and aware that something more was afoot, Ted brushed the salaciousness of the story off and remarked that the news was becoming indistinguishable from the tabloids.
Could Ted Wheeler Actually Be a Government Agent in ‘Stranger Things’?
It might sound ridiculous, but some Stranger Things fans have been convinced for years that there’s more to Ted than meets the eye. His consistent aloofness, near-total disengagement from his own family’s drama and his bizarre calm during town-wide chaos that has practically plagued Hawkins since season 3 have sparked a theory that he’s more than just a checked-out dad oblivious to what’s happening around him.
One particular conspiracy theory speculates that Ted’s an undercover government agent. Could Ted be quietly gathering intel for the government while playing the role of the bumbling suburban husband? Probably not … but in Hawkins, anything is possible.
Will Ted Wheeler Be in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5?
Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, haven’t made any official announcement that Ted’s making a return in season 5, but there’s no reason to think he won’t pop up throughout the season. Plus, Joe has Stranger Things listed as one of his upcoming projects on IMDb.
The Duffer brothers have previously said that the final season will mostly take place in Hawkins, which means that viewers are more than likely to get a glimpse or two of Ted.
“I think one of the things that’s exciting about Season 5 is [that] Season 4 was interesting to us because everyone was scattered to the winds. That’s what was unique about it. But this is about everyone finally coming back. Coming back together, coming back to Hawkins,” Matt told Collider in an interview published in July 2022. “Hopper is back in Hawkins. The original group [is] back together—the original group of boys plus Eleven. The OG group. There’s something interesting to re-explore some of the season one dynamics again, except on this grander scale.”
While Netflix has yet to release a specific premiere date, Stranger Things season 5 will hit the streamer at some point in 2025.
