Stranger Things's Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo reveal what's next for them after series ends

"There's loads I want to do," said Wolfhard. "I want to direct more films [following his first feature, Hell of a Summer]. I would also love to do a voice-over where people don't know it's me. I feel like every time I've done a voice in something, it's my own voice [laughs]."

When asked about dream voice roles in animation, Wolfhard immediately mentioned Hayao Miyazaki, the creative genius behind much of Studio Ghibli's output.

"To be in a dub for a Miyazaki film? That would be like a dream… What Robert Pattinson did [in The Boy and the Heron] last year was pretty amazing. Totally changed his voice. Doing something like that would be so fun."

Matarazzo is also keen to push out of his comfort zone and try new, stranger things.

"I think a lot of weird, deeper character work would be really, really fun. My inspo for sure is Andy Serkis and everything he does. He is one of the most talented, most expressive, most innovative performers that's alive right now, that's known for becoming not human several times, which seems like it would be absolutely terrifying, but so much fun."

"I just want to keep doing things that I'm bad at," added Matarazzo, "because I always like to challenge myself.

"The thing that I'm most scared of with anything I'm doing is getting to a point where you can become comfortable. Because I don't really think that you're actively mindful of what it is you're doing, and the goal is to always be present, focused.

"The only way that I think I would necessarily be that is if I'm terrified of what I'm doing [laughs]."

Matarazzo continued: "When you've been a person for a decade, it sometimes feels like you know them more than you know yourself… That's tough to let go of, and it makes acting outside of it quite tough as well. Because I'm like, 'What's a me-ism and what's a Dustin-ism?'

"Sometimes I'll make choices where I'm like, 'That's a Dustin choice.' I gotta make sure that I'm very mindful of not being him right now."

He added that "the concept of not playing [Dustin] is pretty scary", which is understandable given how much of his 22 years have been spent in the role.

Both stars are incredibly thankful for this journey, however, with Finn adding: "I'm proud of what Stranger Things has brought to people and just proud of being a part of that show and being a part of a great cast.

"That's something I'm always gonna be excited about, for sure.

For fans who might be at a loss after the series comes to an end, Matarazzo pointed out that anime "influences a lot of what we've done on Stranger Things", so there's a wealth of TV out there to help fill that gap that will be left behind.

Wolfhard immediately suggested Death Note, which "is very character heavy and character driven" in the same vein as Stranger Things season 1.

Matarazzo, meanwhile, thinks other ensemble pieces like One Piece or Attack on Titan will appeal, even if the latter is darker than fans of their show might be used to.

For more anime suggestions to pick up once Stranger Things comes to an end, check out our best anime of all time picks and how to watch them via Crunchyroll's streaming service.

• Start your 7-day free Crunchyroll trial

• Sign up to Crunchyroll at Amazon Prime Video

Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available to stream now on Netflix.

Add Strange Things to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.