Stranger Things might be ending after season five, but like any other successful franchise in 2022, it's not actually going anywhere. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have already confirmed that a spin-off is in the works, with Netflix likely to continue milking this particular cash cow until it's sapped entirely.
As yet, there's no concrete information about the spin-off's plot – we probably won't know anything until after season five drops in 2024. But, the Duffers did confirm that the new series will be “1000% different” to the show in its current form, and that we won't be getting a Frasier-esque breakout from one of the main set. “That’s not interesting to me because we’ve done all that," they told the Happy Sad Confused podcast. "We’ve spent I don’t know how many hours exploring all of that. So it’s very different."
They did admit that Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike, managed to guess the focus of the series. If Finn can do it, surely some of Stranger Things' most devoted fans can, too?
Let's test that theory.
Young Hopper
Okay, this one isn't from a fan, but… David Harbour did suggest in his GQ Hype interview that Jacob Elordi would be a great selection to play a younger version of Chief Jim Hopper in a prequel series. And we can kinda see it? Elordi playing totally against type from his villainous Euphoria character as a bushy-tailed young cop climbing the ranks of Hawkins PD. It would take us back to the late 1960s/ early 1970s, opening up a whole new world of cinematic and musical nostalgia. We reckon it just about falls into the 1000% different loophole as it'd be a new actor rather than Harbour, perhaps taking inspiration from old-school, episodic cop shows like Starsky & Hutch and Chips.
Susie The Hacker
Dustin's long-distance girlfriend Susie, once presumed fictional, played a surprisingly pivotal role in seasons three and four. Described by many as a “genius” who is remarkably au fait with the workings of her very early days computer, there's a theory that she could go on to become an accomplished early '90s hacker.
“Suzie's a hacker, which was a huge thing in the '90s,” says Reddit user Crimkam. “If the spin-off keeps the continuity of the show going (albeit in some 1000% different direction) it will probably take place in the 90s. Smart Christian good girl Suzie alongside her burnout sister seems like a good setup for the show. If the head military villain guy from S4 survives, I could see him being a villain in the spinoff too. Sort of a Hackers vs. The Man sort of story.”
1990s Nostalgia
Given the rise of 1990s nostalgia in recent years, it feels like a series set a decade later than the current one, perhaps in a different town with an Upside Down-adjacent mystery, could be a hit – and just different enough from the original series to feel fresh and new. “I hope they bring it into the '90s,” Redditor finnjakefionnacake writes. “A new time/era may help them capture what made the show special in the first place without having to retread old territory.” It would also give the Duffers a chance to do up a pastiche of Jurassic Park, The Fifth Element, Twelve Monkeys, The Matrix…
