Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo spoke with Deadline about Dustin's grief journey in Season 5 and more from the finale

This story contains spoilers from the series finale of “Stranger Things,” now streaming on Netflix. Gaten Matarazzo was hardly a teenager when Matt and Ross Duffer cast him as the insatiably lovable Dustin Henderson in the first season of “Stranger Things.

We're talking about the Hawkins High School graduation speech made by Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), who took over the ceremony with a rousing tirade against the system that had his fellow students cheering and Principal Higgins (Bill Winkler) scrambling for the mic.

The conclusion of Stranger Things has prompted renewed discussion around status of Dustin Henderson's long-distance relationship with Suzie. The Season 5 finale does not directly address their romance on-screen.

In an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan, the actor reflects on playing a darker version of Dustin and letting the last 10 years of his career come to an end.

Gaten Matarazzo, who plays fan-favorite Dustin Henderson, said he was "taken aback" by how much he realized the "Stranger Things" finale made sense.

All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Gaten Matarazzo in "Stranger Things." Credit: Netflix On Mashable's Say More, hosts ...

Stranger Things 5 already brought back one character we thought we'd never see again, but outside that one surprise, we didn't see any other returning character

Stranger Things shows that telekinetic powers are nothing compared to steadfast friendship. The show collects iconic duos like Vecna collects children, from Steve Harrington and Dustin Henderson’s protective camaraderie to Eleven and Max Mayfield’s tender solidarity,