Stranger Things Ends: Duffer Brothers Reveal New Spin-Off

After five seasons of thrilling adventures in Hawkins, Indiana, Stranger Things is coming to an end. But fans of the hit series can look forward to another portal opening: a spin-off series is already in development.

“It’s early days, but we’re excited about it,” says Matt Duffer. “It’s new characters and a new mystery, so it’s different, but it will be in the same world as Stranger Things.”

The creators, twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, explained that while the story of the original cast has concluded, the universe itself still has more to explore. Ross Duffer emphasized that the story of the main characters was always intended as a self-contained arc: “It’s definitely the end for these characters.”

Planning the Finale

The Duffer brothers had always planned the ending carefully. Matt says the final scene “was the one thing we had planned from the start.” He added, “We always knew what we were working towards so it was like our north star, and we built the whole season around the final scene.”

Season five, set in the autumn of 1987, sees Hawkins scarred by the opening of the Rifts. The group of friends must face Vecna while the town is placed under military quarantine as the hunt for Eleven intensifies.

The brothers, in their early thirties when the show began, originally envisioned a four- or five-season run. Looking back, they say it still feels surreal to have reached the finale.

From Nostalgia to Global Hit

What began as a nostalgic horror story about a missing boy quickly became one of Netflix’s biggest global hits. Ross Duffer reflects, “When you’re making the show, you’re so entrenched in it that you forget how far it’s come. Every season we put everything we have into it. When we made season one, we didn’t even know if we’d get a second.”

The cast shared similar sentiments. Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington, recalls that after season one, “it felt like an indie film, and now it’s this crazy big-budget movie.” Natalia Dyer, who portrays Nancy Wheeler, said that friendships off-screen mirrored those of their characters.

Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan Byers, added, “The events in the show change these characters’ lives forever, and similarly, this show has changed our lives forever.”

Challenges and Support

While there have been rumors of tension on set, the cast insists they maintained close friendships throughout filming. The Duffer brothers also expressed a strong commitment to protecting the younger cast members.

Ross Duffer explained, “When we cast them, we didn’t know the show was going to be what it was, and you hear so many horror stories about young people that become famous. It helped that there were so many younger cast members so they weren’t going through anything alone and could turn to each other during challenging times.”

Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, highlighted the difficulty of growing up in the spotlight: “You’re going through puberty and a life change like being part of Stranger Things at the same time.” Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo, who play Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson respectively, agreed, laughing about how young they were when they first met.

Gaten Matarazzo admitted that ending the show brings a mix of anxiety and excitement. “Your twenties are all about change, transition, and growing. We’re incredibly lucky to be in a position to establish consistency in our careers.”

Caleb hopes the show’s legacy endures: “I hope it lives on and becomes one of those things that people will rewatch and never get tired of, like a classic film.”

The cast remembers the final day of shooting fondly. “Everyone was there, and it brought us back to episode one — that feeling of home, being supported and loved,” Caleb said.

Netflix has announced an animated follow-up series, while the Duffer brothers’ live-action spin-off remains under wraps. For the current cast, their part in the Stranger Things story is done, though Gaten left the door open for future collaboration: “If they called us in a while, who knows?”

The first four episodes of season five will be available in the US from 26 November, with the next three arriving on Christmas Day, and the finale airing on New Year’s Eve. In the UK, episodes will release a day later.