02 January,2026 03:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Still from Stranger Things
The New Year began with the conclusion of Stranger Things after nine and a half years for fans of the Netflix series. The Right Side Up wrapped up the stories of all the major characters, after Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will (Noah Schnapp), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Joyce (Winona Ryder), and the rest of the Hawkins heroes ventured into the Abyss to defeat the Mind Flayer and kill Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) once and for all. Over the seasons, the story opened several narrative threads. However, not all of them received a conclusive ending.
One of the biggest questions viewers were left with after the finale episode was whether Eleven is truly dead and the origin of the mysterious rock for which Henry Creel killed a man in the cave.
The Duffer Brothers will not be wasting any time and are diving into a Stranger Things spin-off, they revealed in a conversation with Variety after the season finale. They confirmed that the spin-off will dig deeper into the mysterious rock that transformed Henry Creel into Vecna.
"The spin-off is going to delve into that and explain it, and you're going to understand it. But it's a completely different mythology. It's not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It's very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining," they said.
However, fans should not expect familiar faces to return. The creators clarified that the spin-off will feature "completely new characters, a new town, a new world, and a new mythology."
There was considerable chatter online about Will's (Noah Schnapp) coming-out scene, with some viewers questioning its placement in the larger narrative. Addressing the criticism, Ross Duffer said, "The coming-out scene is something we've been building toward for nine years. It was incredibly important for us and for Noah - not just thematically, but narratively as well. This show has always been about our characters overcoming evil, and Vecna represents the darkest thoughts and evils of society. To defeat him, our characters must embrace who they are and come together."
Matt Duffer added, "Volume 1 is really about self-acceptance, that's step one. Step two is Will talking to Robin. He knows he needs to come out, and that it's the final step for him. Finding the courage to do that is the ultimate âf''' you' to Vecna. That was always the intention."
