Credit: NetflixThe Stranger Things fandom has been torn since Season 5 premiered in November last year. And things only got worse from there. While volumes 1 and 2 faced some criticism, things took a drastic turn when the final episode, “The Rightside Up”, premiered on December 31.
From online petitions demanding a better cut of the entire season to viral theories claiming that the ending was “fake” and that Netflix planned to drop a new finale (which never happened), Stranger Things Season 5 quickly became one of the most controversial talking points in entertainment since Star Wars‘ hugely divisive sequel The Last Jedi in 2017.
But an upcoming Stranger Things spinoff is refusing to let the controversy surrounding the franchise as a whole die.
Netflix’s upcoming animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 has already started stirring debate among fans — and much of that conversation revolves around one element that could reshape how viewers remember the Hawkins crew.
Set in the winter of 1985, between the events of seasons 2 and 3 of the original live-action series, Tales From ’85 brings back familiar faces like Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Max, and Hopper in animated form, voiced by an entirely new cast.
The Duffer Brothers and showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles have positioned the show as a canonical story that takes advantage of animation’s flexibility to introduce new monsters and mysteries that the live-action series never explored.
But the introduction of a brand-new character — Nikki Baxter — has become a talking point among long-time viewers. Nikki is described as a “tinker” — someone seemingly with mechanical skill and a DIY ingenuity that could help the Hawkins kids confront strange phenomena not directly tied to Upside Down portals. She’s visually distinct, with short pinkish hair, taller stature, and a design reminiscent of tech-savvy adventure archetypes.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Confirms Two New Spinoffs, One Coming to Netflix Soon
Unlike the main ensemble, Nikki has no presence whatsoever in the original live-action Netflix series, and naturally, her inclusion has led to concerns about continuity. Some fans argue that introducing a central new companion who’s never referenced in seasons 3 through 5 could create unanswered questions in the franchise’s established timeline.
Others wonder how a character so integral to Tales From ’85 is never mentioned again.
The presence of Nikki Baxter between seasons 2 and 3 — a gap never explored in the live-action show — means the animated series could feel like a retcon to some fans.
But that’s not the only issue — the new series itself creates an even bigger problem. While Robles has found “loopholes” that have allowed the creative team to introduce new monsters despite Eleven closing the Upside Down gate at the end of Season 2, why is none of this mentioned from Season 3 onwards?
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is scheduled to premiere later this year.
Watch the official announcement trailer below:
Stranger Things Seasons 1 — 5
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are streaming on Netflix.
Stranger Things Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Are you excited about Stranger Things: Tales From ’85? Let us know in the comments!