Usually, when fans learn that a favorite series will get a spinoff, it’s a few years or even decades after the original series has ended. In the case ofNetflix’sStranger Things, people began talking about a spinoff when the show hadn’t even reached its conclusion. That’s a testament to thestrong storytelling of the Duffer Brothers seriesand the impressive performances by the cast.
While the Duffer Brothers said thatFinn Wolfhard figured out the spinoff, no one else knows what story it could tell. SinceMatt and Ross Duffer called the spinoff “different” from the original showabout the Mind Flayer, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends, could that mean it doesn’t have any supernatural elements?
What Could The Stranger Things Spinoff Be About?
According toE! News, in 2022, Matt and Ross Duffer talked about theStranger Thingsspinoff on the podcastHappy Sad Confusedand said:
“I’ve read these rumors that there’s gonna be an Eleven spin-off, that there’s gonna be a Steve and Dustin spin-off or that it’s another number. That’s not interesting to me because we’ve done all that. We’ve spent I don’t know how many hours exploring all of that. So it’s very different.”
Based on these comments, it sounds like theStranger Thingsspinoff will go in a completely new direction. The spinoff couldbe a political thriller like the 1983 movieWarGamesor tell a grounded story without monsters or superpowers. Whilefans hope for more Upside Down storylines inStranger Thingsseason 5, perhaps this setting won’t even be part of the spinoff.
WarGamesstarred Matthew Broderick as a teenager named David Lightman who finds a supercomputer that belongs to the military. IfStranger Thingshad a spinoff that went in this direction, then maybea new character could discover something important about the military or the government. Maybe the spinoff could focus on a creepy project like Dr. Brenner’s (Matthew Modine) work atthe memorable setting of Hawkins Lab, or a character could run for a political position while trying to solve a dramatic mystery.
If theStranger Thingsspinoff is a more realistic story that doesn’t have creatures or tell a paranormal story, maybe it could focus ona smart child character similar to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who uncovers a secret about their small town. While the secret might not be about a supernatural setting such as the Upside Down, it could still be fascinating to explore. The key to the spinoff would definitely be the characters. There are so manyengaging fan theories about Elevenbecause she’s such an unforgettable character, and her charm, innocence, and intelligence are present in every scene. Although the creatures and monsters are entertaining and exciting to watch, and there is so much history to dive into, that’s not why so many people tune into every season ofStranger Things. The show has such a huge fanbase because of the strong character development andthe unlikely duos who work as a team.
What TV Shows Could The Stranger Things Spinoffs Learn From?
There are a few compelling spinoffs of popular TV shows thatStranger Thingscould be inspired by. One idea would beAngel, theBuffy The Vampire Slayerspinoffthat aired for five seasons from 1999 to 2004.David Boreanaz’s character Angel runs a detective agency, Angel Investigations, and deals with all kinds of creepy cases. The spinoff is so appealing because Angel is a charming character, but also because it combinesBuffy’s scary monsters with Angel’s compelling new career.
TheStranger Thingsspinoff could alsotake some cues fromFrasier, which is a spinoff ofCheersbut is completely different. It was smart to center an entirely new show around Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), aCheerscharacter who moves back to Seattle.The best episodes ofFrasierare funny, moving, and quirky, which are three descriptions that could be used for the Duffer Brothers’s hit Netflix series. The spinoff could go this route and pick abrave minorStranger Thingscharacter, like Bob Newby (Sean Astin), and create a new world for them. In this case, for instance, Bob would still be alive, and he could move to a new small town that has a dark history.
AngelandFrasierdid three things right: choosing a popular character who fans are invested in, putting them in a new setting, and making sure the show feels familiar but distinct.Stranger Thingsseason 5 might be the conclusion of Eleven and The Party’s time in Hawkins, but viewers won’t have to say goodbye entirely, which is great news.
