Credit: NetflixStranger Things officially ended its run on Netflix with its fifth season last year.
After premiering with its first season in 2016, the sci-fi horror mystery swiftly became a worldwide phenomenon, while propelling its lead cast members — Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), and David Harbour (Jim Hopper) — into the spotlight.
How Stranger Things Has Evolved
To say the flagship series went out with a bang might be an understatement. Season 5 saw our Hawkins heroes take the fight to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) on his home turf, which resulted in the death of Eleven (although the finale’s heart-wrenching epilogue suggests she may be alive).
Here in the real world, however, things took an even more dramatic turn, as the season as a whole (primarily the final episode) was lambasted by many fans. Some launched an online petition calling for an entirely new cut from Netflix, while others started a theory that went viral (although “Conformity Gate,” which suggested the finale was a fake-out, felt more like a hoax).
Stranger Things Returning in New Series
The series has spawned extensive tie-in media including comic books, novels, video games, tabletop games, a stage production, walkthrough experiences, and, of course, four more seasons.
Despite rumors that Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard are set to reprise their roles in an unconfirmed Stranger Things spinoff series, none of the actors are officially expected to return to the franchise. Their characters, on the other hand, will be back on our screens later this year.
Before the dust from all the Season 5 controversy even had a chance to settle, Netflix released the franchise’s first-ever animated series, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (2026) in April.
The 3D animated series, set during the winter of 1985, bridges the gap between seasons 2 and 3, bringing back all the main characters, this time voiced by a new cast), with a never-before-seen story including new characters and Upside Down monsters.
Despite striking visuals and a similar tone to its live-action counterpart, Tales From ’85 received a mixed response from fans, largely for essentially retconning the main series — for instance, none of these newly created events were ever mentioned by the characters from Season 3 onwards — and for ultimately appealing more to younger viewers. Nevertheless, a second season was swiftly announced by the streamer. Now, we have the first trailer, which you can watch here.
Related: Netflix Will Officially Replace ‘Stranger Things’ Series in 2027 After Fan Backlash
If you thought Season 1 required a huge suspension of disbelief where canon is concerned, the upcoming season features what appears to be an actual ghost terrorizing the residents of Hawkins. On the other hand, it’s not really all that surprising if you recall that showrunner Eric Robles previously cited The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991) as the creative team’s “north star.”
“It all went back to The Real Ghostbusters,” he told Deadline last year. “It was silly but had a handful of dark, creepy episodes and we just kept talking about that. That became the north star for us.”
Still, some viewers will be excited by what appears to be a fresh take on the Upside Down (there are only so many tentacled monsters we can take).
Season 2 also brings back the original Season 1 cast. Netflix.com has confirmed the return of Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala as Will Byers, Odessa A’zion as Nikki Baxter, Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, Jeremy Jordan as Steve Harrington, and Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler.
Tales From ’85 Season 2 is set to be released on September 17, 2026. All 10 episodes of Season 1 are now streaming in full on Netflix.
Stranger Things seasons 1–5 are also available to watch.
