With many tears shed, we officially said goodbye to Stranger Things with its season five finale. But wipe those cheeks, because the story of Hawkins is far from over — the show's universe is only just getting started. Yep, a Stranger Things spinoff is officially in the works.
In the season five finale, the group of high-school heroes defied the odds once more to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). It wasn’t quite a happily-ever-after, though, with victory coming at the devastating cost of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who sacrificed herself to save her friends — and the world. Fans are still holding out hope that Eleven isn’t really gone for good, and that we might see our girl again someday.
The Duffer Brothers have since confirmed they’re developing a Stranger Things spin-off, promising it will finally tie up one major loose end — and no, it’s not Eleven’s fate. So what is the timeline for the upcoming spin-off? And what’s happening with the long-rumoured Stranger Things animated series?
Let’s head back to Hawkins and get the tea.
Siri, play Night Changes by One Direction.
What is Stranger Things: Tales from '85 about?
Matt and Ross Duffer, alongside Shawn Levy, are among the executive producers for the animated series, which is set to debut on Netflix in 2026.
According to Matt Duffer, “the idea was kind of to evoke the feeling of an ’80s cartoon.” That nostalgia-forward vision appears to be central to the project, with showrunner Eric Robles adding: “What we’ve been able to capture is the magic of Hawkins in a new way.”
Robles also teased that the series will take place between seasons two and three of Stranger Things. Set in 1985 — as the title subtly suggests — the animated show fills in a previously unexplored chapter of the timeline, with the live-action finale ultimately landing in 1987.
In keeping with its retro inspiration, the tone is expected to be significantly lighter than the main series. Think fewer doom-filled monologues and more Saturday-morning energy: among the villains reportedly terrorising Hawkins are, yes, pumpkin zombies.
While fans still don’t know exactly what went down between seasons two and three, the fact that it didn’t radically alter the core story suggests the stakes here won’t be world-ending. Instead, the series will likely follow a more episodic, monster-of-the-week format — spooky, nostalgic, and a little more playful than its darker predecessor.
Will the original actors voice Stranger Things: Tales from '85?
Unfortunately, that won’t be the case — but honestly, it’s probably for the best. Thanks to Stranger Things’ famously lengthy production schedule, which spanned nearly a decade, the young cast ended up ageing far faster than their on-screen counterparts, with actors in their 20s still playing 17-year-olds by the end of the series.
Tales From ’85, however, is set between seasons two and three, when the characters are just 14 or 15 years old — and this time, they’ll be voiced by younger actors. Not only does that make far more sense for the timeline, but it also positions the animated series to run for multiple seasons without running into the same age-gap issue.
The voice cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Ej (Elisha) Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper. Additional voice cast members include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips.
What do we know about the Stranger Things spin-off?
“I’ve been pinned down and forced to blow this already, so I might as well tell you,” Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter. "There’s lingering questions about the rock and where the rock came from [in Henry’s story in the finale] and the scientist and all of that. Because we had said that there is something in the finale that is going to connect to the spinoff. The spinoff is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that’s the loose end that’s not that’s not tied up that will be tied up."
He clarified that the spin-off will ultimately introduce “an entirely new mythology,” while still connecting to the Stranger Things universe in meaningful ways. “This spin-off does connect and will answer some of the lingering questions,” he explained. “It’s not specifically about the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down, but hopefully it provides some answers — at least to those lingering questions related to Henry’s memory.”
The Duffer Brothers have also hinted that additional Stranger Things projects could be on the horizon, though none have been officially greenlit just yet. “There are more Stranger Things stories to tell and in the works,” Matt Duffer said at Netflix’s Next on Netflix press event.
However, fans shouldn’t expect the franchise to expand endlessly. Matt has previously stressed that the team will be extremely selective about which stories earn the Stranger Things name, insisting each project must be “of the highest quality and not repetitive.” Any spin-off, he added, would need “a reason to exist” and should “always blaze its own path.”
As for revisiting our favourite characters? That seems unlikely. The finale closed the door on their story — quite literally — and the Duffers appear committed to letting that ending stand.
What is the Stranger Things spinoff timeline?
We’re already missing Hawkins and our ragtag crew, so naturally, the big question is: when can we expect a Stranger Things spin-off to land?
The short answer? We don’t know.
The longer answer? They’re working on it, we promise.
The Duffer Brothers told Variety that they’re set to resume work on the spin-off on Monday 5 January 2026, with Matt Duffer admitting that the creative process is very much the part he loves most. “You don’t understand,” he said. “My favourite part of the show is working on it. It’s not releasing it — that’s just stressful, no matter how it goes when you release it. It’s maybe my least favourite part of the process. I like the creative part. I like making it.”
He added that the team is especially excited by the freedom this new project offers. “It’s very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology.”
In other words: the wheels are turning — and while we might have to wait a little longer, the Stranger Things universe isn’t going anywhere just yet.
