New ‘Stranger Things’ Prequel With Original Characters Confirmed for 2027
Stranger Things may have reached the end of its flagship series, but Netflix isn’t finished taking fans back to Hawkins.
The franchise’s hugely successful stage prequel Stranger Things: The First Shadow is officially being turned into a graphic novel, bringing the story of young Henry Creel to the page.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow Gets New Life
Dark Horse is publishing the adaptation, which has been written by Rachel Pinnelas and illustrated by Jake Bartok. The graphic novel is currently scheduled for release in January 2027 and will adapt the Tony Award-winning stage production rather than tell an entirely new story.
Set in Hawkins in 1959, The First Shadow takes place long before the events of the Netflix series. Henry Creel is the new kid in town, while Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper, and Bob Newby are still students at Hawkins High School. Henry soon forms a relationship with Patty Newby, but his troubled past begins to catch up with him as a terrifying mystery takes hold of Hawkins.
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The stage production has already become an important part of the Stranger Things story. Its events and mythology were heavily connected to the fifth and final season, making The First Shadow considerably more than a simple theatrical spinoff.
And fans who haven’t had the opportunity to see the play in London or on Broadway will eventually have another way to experience it.
Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions filmed the Broadway production earlier this year for a future Netflix release. There is currently no confirmed release date, but the filmed version will allow the stage story to reach a considerably larger audience.
Meanwhile, Netflix is continuing to expand the franchise in several other directions.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 returns for Season 2 on September 17, 2026, continuing the animated adventures of the original characters between Seasons 2 and 3.
An untitled live-action spinoff is also in development, based on an original idea from Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer. Details remain tightly under wraps, but it will introduce another story within the franchise’s universe.
So while the Hawkins gang may have said goodbye on television, Stranger Things itself is clearly not ready to disappear.
What do you make of Netflix’s latest plans for Stranger Things? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
