The Stranger Things universe is getting bigger and bigger — and Us Weekly is overflowing with suggestions for potential spinoff ideas.
Viewers have been compelled by the mysterious town of Hawkins, Indiana, since Stranger Things debuted in 2016. As the Netflix series continued to find success, the Upside Down and the supernatural entities that came with offered a glimpse at how Stranger Things could expand the story in the long run.
Creators Ross and Matt Duffer later confirmed that Stranger Things was technically not coming to an end — even though season 5 was going to be the show’s last.
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” an open letter from the executive producers stated in February 2022. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.”
The duo continued: “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.”
Scroll on for some of the spinoff ideas we have for the Stranger Things universe:
Hopper and Joyce in High School
We would never say no to more Hopper and Joyce content — especially if they are at the center of the show. In season 2, fans learned that the couple knew each other when they were in high school.
Their chemistry continued to heat up our screens as Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) danced around their feelings for each other. Now that we know Hopper and Joyce are actually endgame, the possibilities for their prequel series are endless.
Steve and Robin’s Babysitting Adventures — With the Kids
Stranger Things did an exceptional job with Steve’s (Joe Keery) arc because now no one can get enough of him. He went from Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) jealous athlete boyfriend to a hero that helped save the town (and the kids) time after time. So it’s only fair that the Duffer brothers keep the fun going by dedicating an entire series to Steve and his adventures.
Ideally, a Steve-centric show would include his friendship with Robin (Maya Hawke) and his bromance with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). But at this time we would settle for anything as long as we get to see Steve’s iconic hair — and trusty baseball bat.
The Main Group in a Different Decade
The Netflix series has been set in the ’80s since it premiered. However, the younger actors have grown up fairly quickly so it is sometimes hard to believe that their characters are still meant to be in their teens.
A spinoff that ages the core group up allows the nostalgia to keep hitting across multiple decades. It also means the Stranger Things stars will get to play their actual ages.
Nancy in Her Single Era
Team Steve or Team Jonathan (Charlie Heaton)? How about Team Nancy?
Fans have mainly been focused on who Nancy will choose at the end of the series when the real question is where her story goes from here. Stranger Things has the unique opportunity to follow Nancy as she branches out of Hawkins and builds a life in another place (or multiple locations!) while focusing on her career.
The Vecna Prequel
Season 4 of Stranger Things not only raised the stakes — it also introduced Us to Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna. The villain was originally a young boy named Henry Creel who moved to Hawkins with his family. His interest in the supernatural eventually took Henry down a dark path and he ended up at Hawkins Lab under Dr. Brenner’s care. Henry tried to escape but that led to a battle with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) that banished him to what is now known as the Upside Down, where he went on to become Vecna.
The groundwork for Stranger Things‘ biggest bad was already laid out on the Netflix series so it only makes sense to really dig into Vecna’s history in a separate project.
The Origins of Murray
It doesn’t actually matter what Murray (Brett Gelman) does in his own show, as long as we get to see it. His introduction as Hopper’s eccentric friend quickly turned into Murray becoming a crucial character that helps Joyce and the others navigate the mystery at the center of Hawkins. But it is pretty obvious that Murray’s past is full of wild adventures just begging to be explored.
Eddie: The Early Years
It is safe to say that no one expected Eddie (Joseph Quinn) to become such a fan-favorite when the character was introduced in season 4. But there’s nothing wrong with taking your opportunities when they come, which means investing in the high school student’s story.
Eddie’s shocking death doesn’t leave a lot of room for scenes from the current timeline. However, a series could be crafted around Eddie’s time in high school and his Dungeons and Dragons endeavors.
