At a Glance
- Finn Wolfhard hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time on Jan. 17
- Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo stormed the stage to roast their transition from child stars
- The Netflix phenomenon ended Dec. 31, 2025, after nine years on air
- Why it matters: Fans watched the cast grow up on-screen and now see them confront adulthood in real time
Finn Wolfhard stepped onto the Studio 8H stage Jan. 17 to host Saturday Night Live, but his Stranger Things brothers weren’t about to let him fly solo. Mid-monologue, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo barged in, turning the spotlight into a reunion roast about life after Hawkins.
The Monologue Takeover
Wolfhard, 23, opened with pride about entering manhood. SNL regular Marcello Hernández handed him a shot; one sip and the actor spat it out, calling the drink “too spicy.”
“So yeah, meet the new me. The man me. Because I’m not a kid anymore-,” Wolfhard declared.
“And neither are we!” McLaughlin, 24, interrupted, striding on with Matarazzo, 23. The trio hugged while the crowd erupted.
From Child Stars to ‘Former’ Child Stars
McLaughlin grabbed the mic: “We’re not child stars, we’re former child stars.”
Matarazzo added, “And anytime you read ‘Former Child Star’ in a headline, it can only mean good things,” earning big laughs.
Wolfhard thanked viewers who “watched us grow up on the show,” prompting McLaughlin to quip, “And then went online and commented about our changing faces and bodies.”
A Toast to the Future
Pulling his co-stars close, Wolfhard said, “Even though we are now men, you’ll always be my boys.”
Glasses raised, Matarazzo toasted, “To you hosting SNL!”
Wolfhard fired back, “Yes and to us – child stars … who are now ready to do adult films,” before they drank.
Nine-Year Run Ends
Stranger Things debuted July 2016 with Wolfhard, McLaughlin, Matarazzo and Noah Schnapp as middle-school bike-riders battling inter-dimensional monsters. The fifth and final season dropped Dec. 31, 2025, closing the phenomenon that helped define streaming-era nostalgia.
A$AP Rocky’s First Gig
Musical guest A$AP Rocky also made his SNL debut to showcase tracks from his new album, Don’t Be Dumb.
SNL airs weekly on NBC.
Key Takeaways
- Wolfhard’s monologue became a mini Stranger Things curtain call
- The jokes leaned into the awkwardness of growing up in public
- Fans witnessed the cast’s on-screen childhood and their real-time leap into adult careers
- A$AP Rocky’s performance marked another first for the episode
