Six years ago, the world was taken by storm by a new Netflix show. Stranger Things introduced a perfect mixture of science fiction, horror, and drama, all while infusing the right amount of ’80s nostalgia and a killer soundtrack. The show became a phenomenon, leaving many fans obsessed with the ideas of aliens, the Upside-Down, Dungeons and Dragons, superpowers, and all the great points of the show.

With season 4 coming up and the show’s ending drawing nearer and nearer, fans are more hungry for an extension of the series than ever. The creators have teased the possibilities of spin-offs but have been conservative with the details, leaving fans to speculate what the future could hold for the franchise.

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Here are a few directions we could see Stranger Things spin-offs going in.

The Beginning

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The Duffer Brothers, who had previously been known for their work on the show Wayward Pines (2015-2016), created Stranger Things and served as the showrunners and executive producers alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Levy is known for his recent work as the director of The Adam Project, and Cohen serves as president of Shawn Levy’s production company, 21 Laps Entertainment.

The series premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The show immediately grabbed intrigue; fantastical events in the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana. The series made stars of its cast of general unknowns at the time. The ensemble is comprised of Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, and Maya Hawke. The show also had certified stars thrown into the mix, with Winona Ryder (Girl Interrupted, 1999, Destination Wedding, 2018), David Harbour (Hellboy, 2019, Black Widow, 2021), and Cara Buono (Mad Men, 2010, The Girl from Plainville, 2022).

Stranger Things also garnered a massive international following, attracting a record view count on Netflix. The show has also attracted critical acclaim and received many awards and nominations, including 39 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (6 wins) and four Golden Globe Award nominations.

The Possibilities of Spin-offs

     Netflix

With a show as popular as Stranger Things, it is hardly surprising that there have been talks of spin-offs once the main show draws to a close. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos stated that the show could receive multiple spin-offs, not just one. He has also said that the show has proven itself a staple franchise, and “franchises are good, but what you want are hits.”

This need for hits, and Netflix’s recent subscriber drop, might be the reason for the streaming service and the creators dragging their feet on details regarding the possible continuations of the story. The Duffer Brothers have also said that while they might have some ideas for the franchise’s future, they’re keeping it close to the vest.

The pair credit the pandemic with giving them the “time to look ahead [and] figure out what is best for the show.” The two don’t want the possible spin-offs to be made simply for the sake of being made. They want it to “feel like its own thing… [not] just recreating what we’ve already done, because what would be the point of that?”

Matt Duffer chimed in when the two were being interviewed by SFX Magazine, stating, “In terms of if we were to do any sort of spin-off, or any continuation…the bar [is] always ‘is the idea exciting enough that we feel the pull of wanting to do it again?’” It’s clear that the brothers want the franchise’s future to be as big and fantastic as the original show itself. But what storylines could the possible spin-offs follow?

The Ideas We Want to See

There are many possibilities in terms of storylines that a spin-off could follow. In Season 2 of the show, audiences were introduced to Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) sister Eight/Kali and her crew of super-powered teens. This introduction of a super-crew seemed like a possible subplot-turned-possible-spin-off, but sadly the idea is still left floating in the streaming stratosphere. There have also been several characters who have become a big part of the show, and audiences want more of them, like Sadie Sink’s Max Mayfield, Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson), and even fan-favorite duo Dustin and Steve.

Characters Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) have charmed audiences with their crime-solving duo routine. In the last season, they even were showcased in their own subplot that had them discovering secret Soviet scientists with a base in their hometown. The idea of a Dustin and Steve show is something many fans have voiced their approval and want of, but the stars themselves aren’t so sure. Matarazzo has said that while he likes and approves of the idea of the spin-off, he only does so “if they didn’t do a full show of it… there’s like weekly episodes of little hidings they get into. Every now and again, like a skit show. I don’t know if a Dustin and Steve full spinoff is sustainable.”

The State of the Show Now

While nothing is nailed down for sure, there are undoubtedly multiple possibilities for spin-offs in the future. For right now, fans can satiate their need for sci-fi nostalgia with the upcoming fourth season of the show, which will be released in two installments this summer. Volume I will be released on May 27, and Volume II will be released on July 1.

The season picks up as the gang has been disbanded, with the Byers family having moved away, Eleven mourning the loss of her pseudo father, Hopper, and the rest trying to live their lives as normally as possible. Little do they know, Hopper is alive at a work camp in Russia, and a new evil is brewing in the Upside-Down. Stranger Things will end with Season 5, which is yet to start production.