Stranger Things shares behind the scenes footage of Vecna transformation

Stranger Things villain Vecna
It takes a lot of work to become Vecna! (Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things has given fans a glimpse at their impressive makeup department, showcasing the amazing work of prosthetic designer Barrie Gower as they brought the season four villain to life.

Jamie Campbell Bower technically plays two very different roles in Stranger Things season 4, as we also see him playing the role of Henry Creel (aka 001) before his horrifying transformation into Vecna, his new form within the Upside Down.

It takes a lot of work to get Jamie looking like the creepy new villain, and a new timelapse has shown the process involving multiple layers of prosthetics and a whole team to get him in character.

In the video, we see Jamie sipping on a coffee and taking phone calls as he becomes more and more like Vecna. The post was shared on social media with the caption: "can't talk rn, I'm becoming Vecna."

Previously, Jamie Campbell Bower has revealed that the entire process takes around seven hours to get him into full costume, so there were long days on set to bring Vecna to life.

Speaking to Variety about the process, Jamie revealed: "The vines are real vines. The only thing added in post-production is the movement within them. I came in character, wearing the character, so I'm sitting in the makeup chair very still, not really talking to anyone. Music is a big help for me. I find it to be a very visceral experience.

"I had a few records that I was just constantly spinning on repeat as I’d been building the character I’d had on anyway, so there was that, sort of, subconsciousness that was coming through."

Music has played a huge role in Stranger Things both on and off set, as the latest season of the Netflix series featured a memorable scene featuring a Kate Bush track, which many fans have been loving. 

Viewers are now eagerly awaiting Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 where we'll be seeing more of Vecna, while our Hawkins favorites group together to try and take him down for good, though it's not going to be an easy task.

Stranger Things season 1 to 4, volume 1 are now available on Netflix. Season 4, volume 2 drops on July 1.

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Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress