Stranger Things Spinoff Sidesteps Diego Luna-Style Expansion for a Tighter, Stranger Ride
No, Stranger Things isn’t getting the Star Wars treatment. The Duffer Brothers say the spinoff will skip the sprawling, interconnected model—no Andor-style crossovers—opting instead for a standalone story with all-new characters.
Stranger Things is getting bigger, but not in the way you might be expecting. The Duffer Brothers are steering clear of the whole sprawling, hyper-connected mega-universe approach. Think less endless spinoffs feeding into each other and more: a new story with new people that still feels like Stranger Things.
What the spinoff actually is (and isn't)
In a new chat with Variety, Matt and Ross Duffer spelled it out: the spinoff won't try to copy Star Wars-style expansion. Yes, that franchise can hop from a movie to a series built around a character like Cassian Andor and keep threading it all together. Stranger Things isn't going that route. The plan is to start fresh with brand-new characters and a standalone story that fits the show's vibe without building a giant, tangled mythology.
Ross also said the spinoff will sit in a slightly different corner of the world with only light connective tissue to the main series. Think semi-anthology energy, not a lore maze. Or in their words: they can't just jump to another planet and call it a day.
Netflix first announced this spinoff back in 2022, right after Season 4 landed. It's based on an original idea and is being produced by the Duffers' Upside Down Pictures alongside 21 Laps Entertainment. Plot specifics are still locked up.
The main show is ending with, well, everything
The Duffers are promising a fully buttoned-up finale with Season 5. No dangling threads, no "we'll get to it in the spinoff" hedging. They say they're closing the book on the Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, Vecna, the Upside Down, Hawkins, and the core cast.
"This is a complete story. It's done."
They and the cast have been calling the ending both epic and emotional, which sounds about right for this show.
Who's actually running the spinoff?
Not the Duffers. They'll stay involved creatively and help shepherd it, but they won't be the day-to-day showrunners. They want to focus on other projects tied to a recently signed Paramount deal. In the meantime, they've been developing the spinoff in parallel with Season 5 and say the process has been fun. Again, no plot or character reveals yet beyond the "clean slate" idea: new world, new people, same overall flavor.
- Spinoff approach: fresh characters and a standalone story; light connections to the original; more semi-anthology than massive mythology.
- Not Star Wars: no character hopscotch across multiple interlocking shows; no planet-hopping safety net.
- Production: announced in 2022; from Upside Down Pictures and 21 Laps; based on an original idea.
- Showrunners: the Duffers won't run the spinoff but will stay involved creatively while pursuing other projects under a Paramount deal.
- Season 5 promise: every major thread gets resolved — Demogorgons, Mind Flayer, Vecna, the Upside Down, Hawkins, the whole crew.
- Release plan: Season 5 drops in three parts on Netflix (US) — Part 1 on November 26, Part 2 on December 25, and the Finale on New Year's Eve.
- Tone of the finale: expect big spectacle and big feelings.
Bottom line: the Duffers aren't building a galaxy of Stranger Things shows. They're wrapping the original cleanly, then trying something new that keeps the spirit without dragging the old cast and lore along for the ride. Honestly, kind of refreshing.