‘Stranger Things’ Will Return to Netflix Later This Year With Brand-New Season
The Stranger Things universe isn’t slowing down after the end of its flagship series, with multiple projects already lined up as Netflix continues to build on the property.
A filmed version of the stage production Stranger Things: The First Shadow is in the works for the platform, while a separate live-action spinoff remains in development. Both projects signal a clear effort to keep the world of Hawkins and the Upside Down alive, even after the main series wrapped with Season 5 last December.
Now, that push has gained further momentum with an early decision on the franchise’s latest release.
New Stranger Things Season Confirmed
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (2026) has officially been renewed for Season 2, just four days after its April 23 debut, as The Hollywood Reporter has revealed. According to the outlet, the 3D animated series reached No. 7 on Netflix’s global Top 10 with 2.8 million views and has already ranked among the streamer’s top 15 animated debuts.
Set between seasons 2 and 3, the show brings back several characters with a new voice cast. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt leads as Eleven, alongside Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha Williams as Lucas Sinclair and Ben Plessala as Will Byers. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport voices Max Mayfield, while Brett Gipson steps into the role of Jim Hopper.
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Tales From ’85 Reception
Reception, however, has been mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, as at April 29, the series holds a 63% critic score and a 54% audience rating, while Metacritic lists it at 52 from critics and 5.0 from users. Much of the discussion has centered on how the story fits into established canon, given that its events were never referenced in later seasons of the original show.
That debate also follows the huge backlash to Stranger Things Season 5. Starring Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will), and Sadie Sink (Max), the final season divided viewers, particularly after the release of its closing episode, “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up.”
Even so, with future projects now in development and Tales From ’85 now set to continue, Stranger Things remains an active franchise beyond its original run.
The series is now streaming in full on Netflix.
Stranger Things seasons 1–5 are also available to watch.
Have you watched Tales From ’85 yet? What did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
