The final season of Stranger Things aims to be the biggest television event in recent memory, with countless fans wondering what will become of their favorite characters during and after their war with Vecna. Netflix is already developing two spinoffs of the show, one live-action and one animated.
But at this point, audiences can only guess what the franchise’s next step will be after season 5. However, if Netflix is reading this, they should consider taking these ten spinoff ideas and making them a reality.
The First Shadow adaptation
The Stranger Things prequel stage play, The First Shadow, has left quite an impression with its West End premiere, and one can’t help but wonder how it would look as a limited TV series. This story features an alternate but more detailed account of Henry Creel’s origins as he goes from an isolated young boy to the ruthless psychic Vecna.
This tragic tale also connects with the lives of many other residents of Hawkins, including Joyce and Hopper, making it the perfect precursor to the story seen in the original series.
Stranger Steve
Steve’s journey from a self-centered jock to a heroic babysitter has made him of the show’s most beloved and compelling characters. If Steve survives the final season, fingers crossed, fans will surely line up to see him go off on his own adventures outside of Hawkins.
Even if he doesn’t get back together with Nancy, Steve has forged a new identity that’s strong enough to justify giving him a spinoff.
Where are they now?
In the original pitch for Stranger Things, the story was supposed to depict the kids reuniting years after Eleven defeats the Demogorgon in season 1.
Despite the course the story has taken, the series could still take this route by having the heroes return to Hawkins as adults in the 21st century, with a new cast of older actors playing them in the vein of It: Chapter Two.
Murray’s Mysteries
Ever since his debut in season 2, Hawkins’s number one conspiracy theorist/karate enthusiast has been a fan-favorite character and a mainstay in the series. Combined with his comedic timing, Murray’s knowledge of conspiracies and human psychology would make him a terrific protagonist in his own show.
There are also a lot of compelling parts of Murray’s backstory that weren’t revealed in the main series, and they could all build up a great character study that can last multiple episodes.
Nancy and Jonathan: Investigative Journalists
Nancy and Jonathan have made a terrific duo throughout the series as they ventured out together to uncover the truth behind the many paranormal events in Hawkins.
Whether or not they remain a couple, giving them their own X-Files-type show would be the perfect way to continue their stories beyond the main series. As they’ve grown to become dedicated journalists with outstanding chemistry, having them follow more leads back into the Upside Down would make for gripping television.
Will the Wise
The First Shadow revealed that all the children at Hawkins Lab got their powers from blood transfusions from Henry Creel, who gained his powers from the Mind Flayer. Since Will was infected by the Shadow Monster in season 2 and gained a psychic link to the eldritch beast, who’s to say he won’t get powers of his own?
Will became more of a side character in the show’s later seasons, so giving him a spinoff where he uses superpowers to fight evil should do him justice.
The Vanishing of the USS Eldridge
The First Shadow reveals that the USS Eldridge, a real-life U.S. Navy ship, was transported to the Upside Down, then known as “Dimension X,” while experimenting with a cloaking device in the infamous Philadelphia Experiment. Most of the ship’s crew was killed, and Martin Brenner’s father was the only one among them who lived to tell the tale.
Since this story is based on actual conspiracy theories, the show’s writers can explore some intriguing stories for a spinoff, just as they did with MKUltra. This hypothetical series could even play out like an inter-dimensional version of Lost, with the ship’s survivors unraveling more of the Upside Down’s many mysteries as they try to make it in this strange, new world. They’ve already got an evil smoke monster floating around there.
Kali
Though Eleven’s time with her “sister” Kali in season 2 is widely considered the show’s worst episode, the latter’s character and the world she inhabits present the foundation for an exciting spinoff.
This master of illusions can lead a whole series in which she enacts vigilante justice on those who have wronged her, all while exploring how her reunion with Eleven has changed her inside.
Stranger Kids
It is possible that the U.S. government would try to create more superpowered children like those in Hawkins in other secret labs. But since they were so terrified by Vecna and Eleven in season 4, what if they tried to get rid of all their other test subjects, only for a few to escape captivity?
This premise could allow a new group of kids to create a team of superheroes in a story similar to X-Men ’97 or The Umbrella Academy. The former has long been a massive inspiration for Stranger Things, so the writers could lean more into that by having more children like Eleven assemble a league of their own.
A Stranger Things anthology
The Duffers Brothers had once intended for the show to be an anthology series, with each season presenting a new story akin to American Horror Story.
Instead of following any characters from the main series, a sequel show could introduce a new lineup portrayed by actors from past seasons, with a new story set in the same universe using preexisting mythos.