‘Stranger Things’ Releases Official Spinoff Days After Season 5 Premiere
The world of Hawkins has never been confined to television screens alone. Since Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in 2016, it has evolved into a sprawling multimedia universe that includes video games, comic books, novels, stage plays, and immersive experiences.
With the first four episodes of the fifth and final season now finally streaming on Netflix, the end is now within reach. But the Stranger Things franchise itself isn’t going anywhere.
Next year will see the arrival of the animated series Tales From ’85, which takes place between seasons 2 and 3 and follows Eleven, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, and Nancy Wheeler as they face new threats from the Upside Down. Although the characters won’t be voiced by Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, and Natalia Dyer, who would have played the characters in the entire live-action series when it ends.
And this week will see the arrival of another spinoff, this one set between seasons 4 and 5.
“Stranger Things: One Way or Another”, penned by Caitlin Schneider, centers on Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley (played by Maya Hawke in the Netflix series) in a story bridging seasons 4 and 5. Here’s the synopsis from Penguin Books:
Following the events of Stranger Things: Season 4, Nancy Wheeler and Robin Buckley are hot on the heels of a new mystery – and they won’t stop until they solve it.
Hawkins, Indiana, is in recovery. It’s been two months since Vecna’s earthquake tore through the town, and its residents are still reeling from the devastation. Nancy Wheeler has spent every waking minute on the hunt for Vecna, but he’s continued to elude her. How can she head to Emerson for college in the fall if Hawkins is still under the influence of the Upside Down?
When fellow classmate Joey Taft starts acting shifty at graduation, Nancy is convinced Vecna’s found his newest victim. Joined by fellow amateur sleuth Robin Buckley, Nancy doesn’t waste any time questioning Joey. What the girls discover leads them down the path of a bigger story than The Hawkins Post could ever have assigned Nancy. Why are people around town suddenly getting sick? Why is there a strange man tailing Nancy as she investigates? And, most important, does this even have anything to do with the Upside Down?
Together with Robin, Nancy embarks on a dangerous quest for the truth. The deeper the two dig, the further Nancy finds herself drawn into a web of intrigue that threatens to trap her in Hawkins… forever.
With Season 5 nearing its conclusion, the novel and upcoming animated series prove how the franchise is continuing to branch into new forms of storytelling. Fans now have multiple ways to follow the residents of Hawkins, whether it’s streaming the latest episodes, reading about Nancy’s latest investigation, or eventually watching entirely new adventures in animated form. Stranger Things has become more than a show — it’s now a universe, and there’s plenty left to explore.
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 4 and the first four episodes of Season 5 (Volume 1) are now streaming on Netflix.
Are you excited about all the new Stranger Things content? What are your predictions for the finale? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
