WhenStranger Thingswraps up with season 5 in 2025, I know it will not be the end of this world on our TV screens. I fell in love with the mind-bending show because of its 1980sGoonies-gang mystery tone, but that does not mean the premise will not work in another decade. Once the show gives worthy endings to all the central characters I’ve grown to love over the last eight years,it can open the door forStranger Thingsto truly be a franchise with new shows.
TheDuffer Brothers hope to avoidGame of Thronesendingcomparisons inStranger Thingsseason 5. It’s important that globally-adoredStranger Thingshas a proper conclusion, but not necessarily a permanent goodbye. The Duffers and Netflix should take note ofGame of Thronesand HBO successfullytelling more stories in the same world. News about the plannedStranger Thingsanimated seriesis scarce, but there are many possibilities to continueStranger Things,including one particularly strong potential setting.
Stranger Things' Next Show Should Be A 1990s-Set Story With A New Cast & New Mystery
If That 90’s Show Can Do It, So Can Stranger Things
After hopefully defeatingVecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) inStranger Thingsseason 5, the original crew should be able to experience normal adult life. But this world still has more to offer, even if there are no Demogorgons to face. I knowatime jump to the 1990s with new characters and a new mystery is the perfect way to continue theStranger Thingsmythos.It would also allow for cameos from the old cast and Easter Eggs pertaining to the original series.That 90’s Showdid a similar time jump, without the worldwide fan base thatStranger Thingshas.
There would still be monsters, special powers, and dark unexplained forces, only with kids who look like they went to school with the Saved by the Bell cast.
We could get glimpses of the old characters as young adults in their 20s who show up occasionally to help a new generation of pre-teen mystery solvers. There would still be monsters, special powers, and dark unexplained forces, only with kids who look like they went to school with theSaved by the Bellcast. Therefore, we could still enjoy thenostalgicStranger Thingscostumes and referencesthe Duffers manifest so well, but there would be new storylines and flawed yet loveable characters.
Why Stranger Things Could Break New Ground As An Anthology Franchise
Stranger Things Could Be The Gen-Z American Horror Story
With countless shows and streaming devices, it’s hard to stand out, butStranger Thingshas since 2016. To keep that spark alive,theStranger Thingsuniverse is going to have to continue to evolve into new iterations, similar toAmerican Horror Story. This anthology show has had a successful run on FX since 2011, featuring multiple spin-offs likeScream Queens,andAHS: Story Stories. While his latest show,Grotesquerieis not technically anAHSshow, it still has a similarly dark and bloody whodunit premise.
10 Biggest Vecna Questions Stranger Things Season 5 Must Answer
Vecna is the most terrifying villain of Stranger Things, but as the show enters its final season, there are a lot of questions left unanswered.
However, instead of creating only a strict anthology likeAmerican Horror Story,the Duffer Brothers can learn from Murphy and develop moreStranger Things-themedshows with their own stories. Even theAmerican Crime StoryandMonstersanthologies are rooted in the same Murphy mindset. There are enough unexplained mysteries and monsters that could keep theStranger Thingsworld alive across many different times and places in a broader franchise format.
A New Stranger Things Story Would Be Much Better Than A Direct Sequel Or Spinoff
The Original Stranger Things Storylines Can Only Go On For So Long
Ultimately, stretching out the individual storylines anymore after the last season would do a disservice to these characters. I’ve watched the incredible cast ofStranger Thingsgrow up on screen and in real life. Steve (Joe Keery) went from being the careless jock to the heart of the show and a bonafide babysitter to the younger cast. Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven has been put through the wringer, going from being treated like a lab rat to discovering her own strength and finding a new family. Many other stories have similarly made their mark on TV.
Stranger Things Season 5’s Steve Update Should Have You Breathing A Sigh Of Relief
Joe Keery subtly teased Steve Harrington’s character arc in Stranger Things season 5, and fans of the character have reason to be relieved.
As cute as the idea is in my head,I don’t know if watching Eleven go to college or Nancy (Natalia Dyer) working at a paper in Washington DC is whatStranger Thingsfans need.Sometimes sequels and spinoffs just aren’t necessary, but theStranger Thingsworld is still incredibly inviting and deserving of more storylines. Having new characters and mysteries to solve will keep theStranger Thingsfranchise alive, while still staying respectful to the first show that captured my heart and millions around the world.
Stranger Things
Cast
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
