Duffer Brothers tease Stranger Things spin-off series: Everything we know so far

Find out the future of the Stranger Things franchise

Stranger Things cast: Will they appear in the recently confirmed Stranger Things spin-off?

Will there be an Eddie Munson spin-off?

Joe Quinn as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4
Joe Quinn as Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4

As of December 2023, there hasn’t been any official confirmation or announcement regarding a spin-off series focused on Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) from Stranger Things. As fans can remember, Eddie heroically sacrificed himself in the Upside Down to save Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and the others at the end of the show’s season 4, making it unlikely for him to return for a spin-off series.

While some fans have been speculating that Eddie will be back as a vampire for season 5 or for a potential spin-off series, what we know officially is that the character becomes the focus of the novel Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus. Released in October 2023, the novel is set in 1984, two years before the events of season 4 where the character made his debut.

Written by Stranger Things writer Caitlin Schneiderhan, the novel follows Eddie as he tries to secure enough money to record a demo tape of his band, and pass it on to Paige, a woman he meets who works for a record producer.

Is there a possible Stranger Things spin-off?

Yes, there’s a possible live-action Stranger Things spin-off and it’s already in development. Stranger Things creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in July 2022 that they are working on a Stranger Things spin-off with Netflix. The potential spin-off, alongside a stage play, was confirmed by the streaming giant in the same month in a series of tweets detailing the Duffer Brothers’ upcoming projects under their newly formed Upside Down Pictures.

Will the Stranger Things spin-off have the same characters?

The Duffer Brothers are keeping the premise of the spin-off under wraps, but they did say that it won’t be similar to Stranger Things.

“It is 1000 percent different from [Stranger Things]. It is not following [any of the main characters],” the duo said. “I’ve read these rumors that there’s gonna be an Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) spinoff, that there’s gonna be a Steve (Joe Keery) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) spinoff, 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.”

As to how the spin-off will connect to the original series, the Duffer Brothers said: “It shares a connection with Stranger Things and the most connective tissue is the storytelling sensibility of it. There is a story that connects to Stranger Things.”

The Duffer brothers direct the young actors of Stranger Things
The Duffer Brothers directing the young actors of Stranger Things

In May 2022, when the spin-off is not yet official, the Duffer Brothers wrote in an emailed interview with Variety that they “think everyone — including Netflix — will be surprised when they hear the concept” for the spinoff “because it’s very, very different.”

However, much to their disbelief, one of the original cast members of Stranger Things figured out what the spinoff will be about. “Somehow Finn Wolfhard — who is one crazy smart kid — correctly guessed what it was going to be about. But aside from Finn, no one else knows!” the siblings said at the time.

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things season 4
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things season 4

While the Duffer Brothers said the Stranger Things spin-off will not center on any of the original characters, Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, told Digital Spy in May 2022 that he isn’t ruling out an appearance in any future Stranger Things spin-off. “I think if it was in 10 years or something like that, and there was a movie or a limited series, I think that’d be kind of cool,” the actor said.

Wolfhard’s co-star Charlie Heaton agreed, noting that he couldn’t really picture himself joining another storyline in the same universe just yet. “It’d be kind of weird to have a spinoff [now], you know?” said Heaton, who portrays Jonathan Byers.

Who will helm the Stranger Things spin-off?

The Duffer Brothers are working on a number of other projects, so it’s not surprising that they are looking for a person that will run the Stranger Things spinoff.

“Hopefully we find that right person to pass the baton to while we go on to do new stuff,” the siblings said during their appearance in the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

Matt also added, “Even the idea of Ross and I, say, doing a pilot and leaving it, it just feels silly to me. You really need to be there from the beginning to end. I think we need to find a partner to help us with that.”

As revealed by Deadline, the Duffer Brothers ― under their Upside Down Pictures ― are working on a live-action series adaptation of Death Note; an original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews; and a series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s 1984 novel The Talisman.

In addition to the fifth and final season of Stranger Things and its sequel, the siblings are also working on a new stage play set within the world and mythology of Stranger Things. Prolific UK-based stage producer Sonia Friedman, as well as Stephen Daldry and Netflix, are producing the project.

When will the Stranger Things spin-off come out?

The Stranger Things spin-off doesn’t have a release date yet, as the project is still in the early stage of development. The Duffer Brothers said that they will begin working on the spinoff after the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.

“There’s a version of it developing in parallel [to season 5], but they would never shoot it parallel,” Ross said in an interview with Variety in June. “I think actually we’re going to start delving into that soon as we’re winding down and finishing these visual effects, Matt and I are going to start getting into it.”

Matt, for his part, explained why they have yet to deep dive into the works surrounding the spin-off. “The reason we haven’t done anything is just because you don’t want to be doing it for the wrong reasons, and it was just like, ‘Is this something I would want to make regardless of it being related to Stranger Things or not?’ And definitely,” he said. “Even if we took the Stranger Things title off of it, I’m so, so excited about it. It’s going to be different than what anyone is expecting, including Netflix.”

What is the Stranger Things stage play about?

Although the stories of most of the characters will end in the upcoming season 5, Matt Duffer said that fans will see more of them in the Stranger Things stage play titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

“Yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here [in season 5. That’s it… outside of the play, ” Matt told The Guardian in December 2023. “So if you want to see more of some of them, go see the play.”

Officially announced in March 2023,  Stranger Things: The First Shadow will premiere in late 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End. Set in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959, and it is based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Kate Trefry. Produced by Sonia Friedman and Stephen Daldry, the play will feature younger versions of the characters Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Bob Newby, and Henry Creel.

“We are beyond excited about Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. “Collaborating with the brilliant Stephen Daldry has been nothing short of inspiring, and Kate Trefry has written a play that is at turns surprising, scary, and heartfelt. You will meet endearing new characters, as well as very familiar ones, on a journey into the past that sets the groundwork for the future of Stranger Things. We’re dying to tell you more about the story but won’t – it’s more fun to discover it for yourself. Can’t wait to see you nerds in London!”

Sonia Friedman added: “The world and mythology of Stranger Things has enabled a rich and fertile ground for creating an incredible story for the stage. The Duffer Brothers have built a huge global following for good reason, and a world-class creative team has built on their boundless imagination to dream up an unbelievably exciting theatrical event for our audiences. Set within the canon of Stranger Things, this new play opens in London, with the West End hosting the only place in the world to experience this new story – for now. I’m thrilled to reunite with my visionary long-term collaborator Stephen Daldry. Together, with our brilliant Netflix partners, we can’t wait to welcome Stranger Things fans into theatre, and theatregoers into the realm of Stranger Things.”

Is there an animated series set in the Stranger Things universe?

Yes, in addition to the in-development live-action Stranger Things spin-off series and the Stranger Things stage play, there’s also an animated Stranger Things series coming to Netflix soon.

In April 2023, the streaming service announced a straight-to-series order for an animated series that is set in the Stranger Things universe. The animation for the series is being provided by Flying Bark Productions with Eric Robles, the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and Dan Cohen as executive producers on the show. It is not clear if this project is the same as the rumored Stranger Things: Tokyo anime series or a completely different show altogether.

Sources: Happy Sad Confused, Variety, Digital Spy, Deadline, Variety, ComicBook.com, The Guardian, Radio Times