Note: Spoilers ahead from season four of Stranger Things.
Netflix dropped the final two episodes of Stranger Things season four on July 1, 2022, turning in giant numbers for the streaming service. The season ended with Brenner’s demise, the most metal concert ever, popular new character Eddie Munson’s death, Max barely alive and in a coma, several emotional reunions, our favorite Hawkins residents besting Vecna (at least temporarily), and the emergence of the Upside Down into our world. Since season four’s conclusion Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have shed some light on what’s to come in season five and the planned spinoff.
The Duffer Brothers were guests on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and stated that season five will be a shorter and quicker season. While the first few episodes of previous seasons set the scene for where characters are in their lives, season five will jump right into the action. Since season four ended with an imminent threat, the main characters will already be making plans to battle Vecna and the Upside Down when season five opens.
After season four’s setting in multiple locations, season five will take place exclusively in Hawkins. It will also return to some aspects of season one with similar character pairings and groupings. The Duffers also said that they don’t expect episodes in the fifth and final season to be as long as the ones in season four, however, the series finale will likely be feature film length to wrap things up. At present, season five is targeting a 2024 release.
Little is known about the spinoff series other than a few key pieces of information. Despite a bevy of rumors, the spinoff will not follow the current characters – not even fan favorites like Eleven or Steve. The Duffers said that it’ll be different from the main series, while maintaining its storytelling sensibilities. They also stated plans to “…find that right person to pass the baton to while we go on to do new stuff.” The Duffers confirmed that they’d still be involved, but a new filmmaker will be in the driver’s seat for the spinoff.