Credit: NetflixAfter nearly a decade, Stranger Things has officially come to an end. The long-awaited fifth season, which streamed from November 26 until December 31 last year, finally closed the book on the saga that began back in 2016, bringing the story of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends to a definitive conclusion.
But while the flagship series is finished, the world of the Upside Down is far from over. In addition to an untitled live-action spinoff, Netflix is moving forward with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a new animated series set between seasons 2 and 3 — and it’s bringing a completely new cast with it.
A New Cast Takes Over Stranger Things
Rather than bringing back the original actors, Tales From ’85 recasts the core group with voice talent. The series stars Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha Williams as Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala as Will Byers, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield, and Jeremy Jordan as Steve Harrington.
Of course, these characters are closely associated with their live-action counterparts. David Harbour originally played Hopper, while others including Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, and Joe Keery brought the younger cast to life across five seasons.
The shift to animation allows the franchise to explore a different chapter in Hawkins history without relying on de-aging or timeline constraints — even if it means audiences will need to adjust to new voices.
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Even More Characters Join the Story
Beyond the main group, however, Netflix has now also confirmed a wave of additional cast members. Janeane Garofalo plays Anna Baxter, Lou Diamond Phillips appears as Daniel Fischer, and horror icon Robert Englund, who also appeared in Season 4 as Victor Creel, voices a character named Cosmo.
Meanwhile, several familiar faces are also being reintroduced with new actors. Alysia Reiner takes on Karen Wheeler, while Alessandra Antonelli voices Nancy Wheeler — characters originally played by Cara Buono and Natalia Dyer in the live-action series.
Valeria Rodriguez joins as Rosario, and Jack Griffo voices Jeff.
Another entirely new addition is Nikki Baxter, played by Odessa A’zion, suggesting the animated series won’t just revisit familiar territory but introduce new storylines as well.
New Stranger Things Trailer Reveals More
The second official trailer, which premiered last week, offers a closer look at the series’ tone, animation style, and expanding cast of characters.
While much of the footage focuses on the return of Hawkins and its core group, it also teases new threats emerging from the Upside Down — along with the new faces who will be caught in the middle of it.
The series is described as a “lost season,” filling in the gap between two of the show’s most pivotal chapters while scaling things back to a more contained, small-town mystery.
Related: Is ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Canon? Here’s the Answer
When Does Tales From ’85 Release?
The series will premiere on Netflix on April 23. It has also been confirmed that the first two episodes will be screened in select theaters on April 18, five days before the series launches on the streamer. The double-bill preview will have a total runtime of about 55 minutes.
Are you excited about Tales From ’85? What do you think about the new cast taking over these iconic characters? Let us know in the comments below!