The Dec. 31 Stranger Things finale marks the conclusion of nearly a decade of theories, mysterious monsters, and viral needle drops. But if you’re not quite ready to say goodbye, don’t worry, because there are multiple Stranger Things spinoffs in the works.
An Animated Series Is On The Way
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 may not seem like a true spinoff, because it actually includes the same characters and Hawkins setting of the flagship show. However, it tells a new story in a radically different way.
The animated series is set in the winter between the second and third seasons of Stranger Things, “where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town,” per Netflix’s logline.
In addition to having a different visual style, new actors will be lending their voices to the animated spinoff, including I Love LA star Odessa A’zion. It arrives in 2026, so you won’t have to wait too long for a return to the world of Stranger Things.
While the new show’s timeline seems to afford a sense of security to the core characters, don’t let your guard down when it comes to thrills.
“It’s got its bite to it,” showrunner Eric Robles recently told Entertainment Weekly. “The stakes are real for the kids. It’s not Scooby-Doo, man. It’s not like, ‘Oh, well, it’ll be fine.’ We don’t know if it’ll be fine.”
Look Forward To A “Clean Slate” Project, Too
The Duffer Brothers (who created Stranger Things) have also teased the development of another spinoff that’s completely removed from the core show. As Matt Duffer told Variety, the fifth and final season of Stranger Things allowed the team to cover “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.” The Dec. 31 finale marks the end of a “complete story. It’s done.”
Duffer said the spinoff won’t work like Star Wars, with interconnecting characters and storylines. Rather, you can expect to see common elements such as the sci-fi/fantasy genre and kids going on adventures. “You’re starting with new characters — it’s like clean slate,” he said. “You’re not tied up into any knots. There’s something refreshing about it.”
Indeed, Ross Duffer said this next chapter will be “almost anthologizing” in nature.
No word yet on when this spinoff project will go into production and release — but if you loved the tone and spirit of Stranger Things, there’s certainly reason to be excited.
