Stranger Things spin-off's first plot details are revealed – and it answers one major question
We'll be returning to Hawkins far sooner than expected...
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 showrunner Eric Robles has revealed the first story details for the upcoming animated spin-off – and how he fixed a major plot problem.
Netflix previously announced that the series would be set in 1985 – between the events of Stranger Things’ second and third season – and follow Eleven, Max, Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will as they face new monsters and uncover a paranormal mystery terrorising their town.
But of course, longtime fans of the show will have noticed a flaw in the narrative: how would the kids still be dealing with monsters after Eleven (played in live-action by Millie Bobby Brown) sealed off the portal to the Upside Down in season 2?
Talking about how he fixed the plot hole, Robles told Entertainment Weekly in a new interview: "I dissected the show, looking for any loopholes. I found a few of 'em. And then I found this one idea that I was just like, 'Oh s---! I think that's it.'"
He added: "Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter. There's a chain reaction to the creatures that are in our world and the things that are popping up."
Robles didn’t offer any further plot details, and fans will have to wait until the series premieres next year to find out more.
Elsewhere in the interview, Robles teased that the series will have a season-long mystery to uncover, as well as horror elements.
"It's got its bite to it. The stakes are real for the kids. It's not Scooby-Doo, man. It's not like, 'Oh, well, it'll be fine.' We don't know if it'll be fine,” Robles promised, as well as teasing "a lot of freaking cool monsters."
A new cast of younger actors will be taking on the parts of familiar characters in the series, with Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voicing Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, EJ (Elisha) Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper.
Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips will also voice undisclosed roles.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 isn’t the only spin-off on the horizon, with a live-action Stranger Things spin-off also on the way, though details on this remain under wraps.
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is coming to Netflix in 2026.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
