Millie Bobby Brown leads the Stranger Things cast with 72 million followers — why she’s ‘in a league of her own’

A single graphic was all it took to set Stranger Things fandom buzzing again.

The image, shared by the popular fan account @SThingsMeme, listed the Instagram follower counts of the show’s main cast, and the gap was impossible to ignore.

Millie Bobby Brown sits far ahead with 72.2 million followers. The next closest is Sadie Sink at 31.5 million, followed by Noah Schnapp (26.5M), Finn Wolfhard (25.6M), Gaten Matarazzo (19.8M) and Caleb McLaughlin at 15.4 million.

Almost instantly, fans began dissecting what the numbers meant, and what they didn’t.

For many, the takeaway was clear: Millie Bobby Brown is in a league of her own. Since her breakout as Eleven, Brown has built a profile that stretches well beyond Stranger Things, from leading Netflix films to fashion campaigns and a beauty brand, and fans were quick to point out that her massive following reflects that wider global reach, not just her role on the show. Moreover, she also fronts her own franchise: the Enola Holmes films, which star Henry Cavill and Sam Claflin.

At the same time, the graphic reignited a long-running discomfort within the fandom around Caleb McLaughlin’s comparatively lower count. Despite being part of the original core cast, McLaughlin consistently ranks last in follower numbers, something fans have debated before, especially when conversations turn to visibility, audience bias, and how different cast members are embraced online.

On platforms like Reddit and X, reactions split into two clear threads. One side emphasised that follower counts aren’t a measure of talent or importance, arguing that social media growth depends on branding, posting habits, and external projects. Others expressed frustration that McLaughlin’s popularity doesn’t seem to translate online in the same way as his co-stars’, even years into the show’s success. "He is the best actor there," one fan noted, sharing scenes from Stranger Things Season 4, where the star holds a dying Max (Sadie Sink) in his arms, sobbing painfully.

What most fans agreed on, however, was that the numbers highlight how differently fame has unfolded for each actor since Stranger Things premiered. While Brown’s trajectory has propelled her into global celebrity territory, the rest of the cast have taken more varied, and often quieter — paths.