50 Cent vs the Duffer Brothers? Inside the Rumored Rift With Stranger Things Creators
After his third Netflix meeting of the day, 50 Cent jumped on Instagram to playfully challenge Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers, hyping his docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning and signaling he’s ready to compete with the streamer’s biggest, most expensive hit.
50 Cent is doing victory laps at Netflix while Stranger Things keeps guarding the top spot, and yes, those two things are colliding in a very 2025 way. The short version: 50 is chest-thumping about his Sean Combs docuseries smashing internationally, Stranger Things briefly got edged out right after the doc launched, and now Hawkins is back on top while Netflix drops new character posters and lines up the last two releases of the series.
50 Cent pokes the Duffer Brothers (mostly for fun)
50 Cent, who executive produced the Netflix docuseries 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' casually needled Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers in a new Instagram post. It reads like playful scoreboard-watching more than a real feud, and the Duffers have not responded.
'This is my 3rd meeting today at Netflix.'
'Look guy I know you spent a lot of money on Stranger Things but it can't f*ck with me. I'm #1 in 43 countries and #2 in 8 others just facts.'
Reading between the lines, it sounds like 50 is enjoying the numbers and the meetings. Hard to argue with either.
Did the doc really beat Stranger Things?
Briefly, yeah. Per Forbes, 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning' premiered on December 3, 2025 and, for a hot minute, leapfrogged Stranger Things on Netflix. That did not last long. Stranger Things quickly reclaimed the top slot and has stayed parked at #1 since.
Where the doc sits now
According to FlixPatrol, the docuseries is currently holding at #3 on Netflix, just behind Stranger Things and The Abandons. Also backing up 50's humblebrag: the show is charting #1 in 43 countries and #2 in 8 more. So while it is not the domestic champ at the moment, it is traveling extremely well.
What 'The Reckoning' actually covers
50 announced the project back in December 2023. The series tracks Sean Combs from his Bad Boy Entertainment ascent to the controversies that have engulfed him, mixing archival footage with accounts from people who were there. The release sparked a direct response from Combs himself, who blasted it as a 'shameful hit piece.' Whatever side you land on, the attention is clearly fueling the viewership.
Meanwhile in Hawkins: new posters, big dates, bigger stakes
Netflix rolled out fresh character posters for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2, spotlighting Mike, Eleven, Will, Dustin, Max, Lucas, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan. Season 5 is dropping in three chunks, with Volume 1 already out. That first batch ended on a cliffhanger: Will finally unlocked his full power just as Vecna came back stronger, grabbed the kids he had marked, and set up the inevitable power clash. Also back in the mix: Kali from Season 2, which raises more questions about how Vecna plans to finish what he started. If the teases are to be believed, the next two drops are where the show gets loud and spills answers.
- Stranger Things S5 Volume 1: streaming now
- Stranger Things S5 Volume 2: December 25, 2025
- Series finale (Volume 3): December 31, 2025 on Netflix and in select theaters
The state of play
Right now, Stranger Things sits at #1. 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning' is steady at #3 but punching above its weight internationally. Both are streaming on Netflix, and we are days away from the next Stranger Things drop. Expect more friendly chest-thumping, more charts shuffling, and a very busy holiday stretch for your queue.