The director behind the documentary chronicling the final season of Netflix's global phenomenon, Stranger Things, has publicly shut down explosive fan theories that the show's creators used artificial intelligence to write the series conclusion. Martina Radwan's intervention comes after the premiere of One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 on Monday sparked a social media firestorm.
Fan Speculation Ignites from Documentary Clip
When the behind-the-scenes film aired, eagle-eyed viewers claimed to spot the icon for the AI platform ChatGPT open on a laptop belonging to creators Matt and Ross Duffer. The brief shot, which showed the brothers discussing their finale structure with a Google Doc visible, led to immediate and harsh backlash. Furious fans accused the duo of not only utilising AI but also of potentially sourcing plot ideas from Reddit forums and fan theories.
The speculation grew amidst a divisive reaction to the show's two-hour finale, which premiered on New Year's Day 2026, nearly a decade after the series began. While some praised the nostalgic ending, others criticised perceived plot holes, fuelling a separate online theory dubbed 'Conformity Gate' which suggested the aired finale was an illusion. This theory was debunked when no extra episode materialised on the speculated date of January 7th.
Director Radwan's Firm Rebuttal
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, documentary director Martina Radwan broke her silence to defend the Duffer brothers. She wholly denied the allegations, questioning the very basis of the claim. "I mean, are we even sure they had ChatGPT open?" Radwan stated. She suggested that having an AI tool open was as innocuous as having a smartphone nearby while working.
Radwan emphasised the practical impossibility of using AI to craft such a complex narrative. "How can you possibly write a storyline with 19 characters and use ChatGPT, I don't even understand," she argued. She clarified definitively that she "did not witness an unethical use of generative AI in the writers room." Instead, she described a process of intense creative exchange and story development, a privilege she felt honoured to witness.
The Heartbreak of Unfounded Criticism
Beyond the denial, Radwan expressed profound disappointment at the fans' reaction. "What I find heartbreaking is everybody loves the show, and suddenly we need to pick it apart," she lamented. She framed the potential use of tools like ChatGPT as part of modern multitasking for research, not scriptwriting, insisting the real work was done through human collaboration.
The finale itself saw the beloved residents of Hawkins, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), her friends, and allies like Joyce and Hopper, launch a final interdimensional assault against Vecna (Henry Creel) and the Mind Flayer. Despite the high anticipation, the conclusion left some viewers with unanswered questions, which in part fuelled the subsequent online detective work and accusations regarding the show's creative process.
