Entertainment
Netflix Officially Found Its Next ‘Stranger Things’ Problem
All good things must come to an end, and Stranger Things is no exception. Netflix’s hit science fiction series aired its super-sized finale at the beginning of 2026, and in the process brought an end to one of its biggest hits…or so fans thought. Netflix has been eager to continue expanding the Stranger Things franchise in different forms with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated series that takes place between Seasons 2 and 3, and Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a stage play that expands upon the origins of the villainous Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Creators Ross & Matt Duffer even managed to recapture some of Stranger Things‘ magic by producing Netflix’s latest sci-fi hit, The Boroughs.
Despite this slew of successful spin-offs, Netflix has already hit a snag when it comes to Stranger Things. That snag comes with the fact that Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 has been renewed for a second season. While this sounds like a good thing, especially since Netflix tends to be pretty cavalier about axing shows before they get a proper run, a single question remains: how much more story does this franchise have left to tell? More importantly, how far can Netflix go before it runs the risk of running Stranger Things into the ground?
‘Stranger Things’ Has More or Less Told A Complete Story
For whatever criticisms fans could lay at Stranger Things‘ feet, they can’t deny that the series told a complete story over five seasons. Adding more spinoffs threatens to ruin that delicate balance, especially where Tales from ’85 is concerned. No matter how long the series lasts, it’ll have to end things in a way that doesn’t contradict Stranger Things Season 3. There’s also the fact that Tales from ’85 has introduced a new character in the form of Nikki Baxter (Odessa A’zion). Given that Nikki isn’t mentioned throughout Stranger Things, Tales from ’85will have to address her absence in a way that aligns with the rest of the show.
Netflix is about to lose the creative minds behind Stranger Things, as Ross & Matt Duffer are set to leave the streamer for a more lucrative deal at Paramount. The timing couldn’t be worse, as the Duffer Brothers have not only produced one hit with The Boroughs but two thanks to the smash success of the horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Netflix would be hard-pressed to find creative minds on the Duffers’ level, which means that the streamer should remember that Stranger Things became a hit thanks to word of mouth. If Netflix wants another hit series in that vein, it should step back and let incoming creators fulfill their vision.
There’s One Way ‘Stranger Things’ Could Continue
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and Stranger Things: The First Shadow both share the distinction of taking place within the Stranger Things timeline, meaning that they’re bound by events that have already happened in the narrative. There’s an easy workaround if Netflix wants to continue the franchise, and it lies with Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). Holly becomes an integral part of Stranger Things‘ final season, as she’s among a group of children who are imprisoned by Vecna, yet she manages to escape with the help of Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink). The Stranger Things series finale, “The Rightside Up,” more or less passes the torch to Holly and her friends, as they start their own game of Dungeons & Dragons. Ross Duffer noted in an interview with Netflix’s official site, Tudum, that this was meant to bring the series full circle.
“This is about this group of characters saying goodbye to their childhood. That basement, specifically the Dungeons & Dragons game, represents their childhoods [and it’s] how we first met them as an audience. To say goodbye to it, you have to play one last time.”
Though the adventures of Will (Noah Schnapp) and his friends have come to an end, Holly and her friends could potentially still go on their own adventures, especially if Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 leaves some plot threads dangling. Simply put, if Netflix wants to continue building on Stranger Things, it needs to look forward rather than backwards.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
- Writers
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Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
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