*The following includes spoilers from Stranger Things season 4*
While Vecna frustrates most of us, particularly after his violent fight with our girl Max, we can’t help but feel empathy for him. As we discover in the last few episodes of season 4, part I, Henry Creel was actually 001, who transformed into Vecna after being trapped into the Upside Down by Eleven. We now see why he has a bone to pick against her (and just about everybody in Hawkins), but how did the creators of the show decide on his gnarly appearance? And how does it serve the storytelling of the series?
The genius behind Vecna’s incredible prosthetic work is Barrie Gower. The expert scored 3 Emmys for outstanding prosthetics makeup on Game of Thrones, and most recently became the recipient of another Emmy for his work on Stranger Things’ Vecna.
The brief was: He’s from the Upside Down, there needs to be a relationship between him and this environment where he’s spent the last 10 years. Gower for Entertainment Weekly
Since Vecna was a human trapped in a parallel world, he had to resemble a man while still emulating the look of many Upside Down creatures. What’s for sure, Gower did an amazing job at transforming Jamie Campbell Bower (who plays Vecna in the show) into a repulsive monster that still looks human somehow.
The Duffer Brothers, creators of the hit sci-fi show, already knew what they wanted from Vecna before they reached out to Gower.
We got Jamie to our studio here in London, did a full body cast, and then looked at the design and almost superimposed it over Jamie’s body. Gower for EW
The incredible prosthetic artist, in turn, produced just about the best Stranger Things monster to date.
And if you disagree, search ‘Vecna’ anywhere on the web and watch the memes pile up: from funny dance videos to reenactments of his scenes in Stranger Things, people cannot get enough of this (not so new after all) monster that has come to haunt Hawkins.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re still team Eleven but one simply can’t resist Vecna’s charm.