Stranger Things Season 5 Could Decide It All: Are Spin-Offs Heading Toward Eleven or Will Byers?
Hawkins is done—and so are Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Steve. Creators Ross and Matt Duffer say any Stranger Things spinoffs will break away with new characters and stories.
Stranger Things is heading for a clean break. The Duffers say Season 5 wraps the story we know, and any spin-offs after that will leave Hawkins and the main crew behind. No victory laps. No surprise reunions five years later just to make you feel feelings. They are shutting the door on this chapter and opening another one somewhere else entirely.
Season 5 is the goodbye to Hawkins and the kids
Ross and Matt Duffer told SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar) that the final season is designed to be the last word on Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Steve, and the town that turned suburban nightmare into a lifestyle. They are determined not to keep the main story on life support or hint at a sequel just to keep options open.
"This really is the end of the story of Eleven and Mike and Lucas and Dustin and Steve and all these characters, and Hawkins specifically."
"The ending wouldn't be very impactful if we left it cracked open for some sort of sequel."
Their whole point: let Hawkins feel complete. Any future projects will not lean on the original characters or trot them out for nostalgia hits.
About those Finn Wolfhard spin-off guesses
In a 2025 chat with Variety, Finn Wolfhard (Mike) tossed out his personal theory for where the franchise could go next: new locations, same Upside Down mythology, and absolutely no mention of the Hawkins gang. He even floated the idea that if there was one lab in Hawkins and another in Russia, there are probably more out there.
The Duffers told Deadline that, despite keeping their plan under serious wraps, Finn somehow got surprisingly close. Not right on the money, but close enough to make them look up from the whiteboard. Matt Duffer laughed that people thought Finn had spilled the whole thing, but he didn't. They say more details are coming when they're ready.
How they want to expand the universe
They were pretty blunt: they are not churning out spin-offs just to feed the content machine. If a Stranger Things project happens, it has to come from a place of genuine enthusiasm, whether it's their idea or someone else's. They want anything with the Stranger Things name to feel special, and they plan to stay deeply involved. In fact, they say they are actively working on a spin-off idea right now.
What we know so far: a live-action spin-off is officially in development, but it will not include Hawkins or any of the original characters. Separately, the animated series 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' is underway, focusing on the core group in the gap between Seasons 2 and 3 as they run into new creatures and fresh Upside Down weirdness. Yes, that one does use the original kids — it is set earlier and animated — while the live-action future moves on.
Season 5 rollout
- Volume 1: 4 episodes on November 26, 2025
- Volume 2: 3 episodes on December 25, 2025
- Finale: 1 episode on December 31, 2025
Bottom line: Hawkins gets a proper ending, the Duffers are not interested in nostalgia scavenger hunts, and the next phase of Stranger Things aims to build out the world without retracing old steps. If you have a pet theory for where the Upside Down goes next, now is the time to call your shot.