As Stranger Things draws closer to its epic fifth and final season, fans are chomping at the bit to know what's next for Netflix's hit sci-fi horror series – there's the Broadway prequel show The First Shadow and an animated series in the works, but it's the previously-announced spinoff that has piqued the most interest. With a vast mythology and huge cast of now-iconic characters established over the course of the last ten(ish) years, the possibilities for continuing the tale of Hawkins and the Upside Down are seemingly endless. But that's not what Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of the record-breaking show, are aiming for.
In a new interview with Variety, the Duffer brothers broke down what's next for the Stranger Things universe, confirming that Eleven, Mike, Hopper et al won't be the focus of any new shows going forward – so don't expect any cliffhangers at the end of Season 5:
“We do every last remaining thing we wanted to do with the Demogorgons and Mind Flayer and Vecna and the Upside Down and Hawkins and these characters […] This is a complete story. It’s done.”
Variety expands on this to mean that the as-of-now untitled spinoff (which will not be showrun by the Duffers, although they will be “heavily creatively involved”) will focus on the show’s “brand” and “style of storytelling”, which, in the Duffers' words, means “kids, adventures, sci-fi/fantasy, rather than increasingly expand what could become an insanely convoluted mythology”. That brings entirely new characters, and a “clean slate”, which Matt Duffer describes as “refreshing”.
The pair goes on to explain why the pair felt it necessary to differentiate Stranger Things from other big media franchises like Star Wars, which have stories spanning a number of different movies and shows:
“They’re going to live in a bit of a different world. There’s going to be connective tissue, but you’re almost anthologizing in a way. Because we’re not ‘Star Wars.’ We can’t be like, ‘Oh, now we’re on this planet.’”
The use of the word “anthologizing” is particularly interesting here; while Stranger Things has no shortage of loyal, loving fans, detractors of the series have often argued that the first season was strong enough to stand alone, and that the trajectory of the show could easily have followed an anthology format with each chapter focussing on a new crop of characters and a new mystery to delve into. Whether or not this is the path the Duffers will choose to take the Stranger Things world down remains to be seen, but they have more than enough world-building now to explore new avenues within or outside of Hawkins.
The first half of Stranger Things Season 5 premieres on November 26, with the next three episodes releasing on Christmas Day, and the series finale premiering on December 31. Series staples Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink and more return for a final go-round against the Upside Down, with Season 5 also featuring a new cameo appearance from ‘80s icon Linda Hamilton. An official synopsis reads as follows:
The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.
Look out for more on any and all Stranger Things news as we get it, and for more, here's what we know about A24's upcoming Friday the 13th prequel series, Crystal Lake.
