When Netflix released the first season of Stranger Things back in 2016, nobody could have imagined the global phenomenon that it would turn into. By far, the streamer's biggest ever series, the sci-fi / horror show captivated audiences in a way that only franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Game of Thrones was able to. Whatever was happening in Hawkins, audiences were into it.
The show's season 5 finale has now made its presence felt on the world, bringing the story of Eleven's struggle with the Upside Down and Vecna to a close. Although fans are always hoping for more from their favorite series, it is unfortunately the end of the road for the beloved series.
Why Stranger Things season 6 isn't happening
Although Stranger Things had become a juggernaut by the time that its second season premiered, the Duffer Brothers never allowed the idea of its success to deter them from their initial plans for the series. Those plans always involved the project running for what they described as a "finite run". In an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in 2017, the pair revealed that they had a vision for the show to run for four or five seasons, saying: "Everything changes as we move forward so we’ll see."
But not much did change. Stranger Things ended up running for five seasons, with the fourth ultimately setting the events of that final chapter in motion. The introduction of Vecna and the darker tone that came along with that pulled the finale into focus, allowing them to realize their vision for the show pretty effectively.
We will add that the show's popularity did allow it to benefit from extended episodes later in its run, so there was never any need to exceed those initial plans of four to five seasons. While the first three seasons had generally reliable episodic runtimes of 45 - 50 minutes, the fourth and fifth season's episodes exceed an hour, with a rare few running two hours.
While some of that might seem over-the-top for television, if did allow Ross and Matt Duffer to successfully pull their vision off, ensuring that Stranger Things didn't outstay its welcome. To no one's surprise, it also left us wanting more. Good thing we're going to get that.
The first of two Stranger Things spinoffs premieres in 2026
Although the Stranger Things series concludes with its fifth and final season, there are more adventures to be told in this universe. Yes, that's right: It's not over for this franchise.
A new animated spinoff is coming to Netflix in the new year. Titled Stranger Things: Tales From '85, it is set between the events of seasons 2 and 3 and looks to tell previously unseen stories featuring some of our favorite characters from the show as they battle new monsters and threats. It will also feature some of those long-awaited interactions that we didn't get to see on the main show, particularly Eleven rejoining the friendship group with Will and Max both a part of it too.
Although the cast of the original series will not be reprising their roles, fans are excited to see some brand new adventures from the beloved characters. The Duffer Brothers, Hilary Leavitt, and Shawn Levy are on-board as executive producers, but Eric Robles will be the one bringing this one to the screen as its showrunner. Netflix has yet to confirm a release date but the first look did confirm that it will grace the streaming service at some point in 2026.
Meanwhile, a live-action spinoff is set to expand the world of Stranger Things in new and unexpected ways. The Duffer Brothers have been working hard on developing it, all while remaining incredibly secretive about it. As reported by Forbes, the show has been described as being a "clean slate" with all new characters in an all-new decade.
While many franchises have used the spinoff concept simply to launch a sequel series (like The Walking Dead Universe), that won't be the case here as the Stranger Things offshoot isn't expected to be a direct sequel. It isn't even expected to be about the Upside Down. That said, the Duffer Brothers have revealed that there is a scene in the show's finale that will give us a small hint as to what the spinoff might be.
Speaking of the Duffers, they will have creative roles in the spinoff (as they have been developing it for Netflix) but they won't be actively involved as the pair will be leaving Netflix due to their new Paramount deal. But as they have been working on it for some time, you can bet that it will be right from the Duffer Brothers playbook.
So, there you have it: Stranger Things may have come to an end after a decade on our screens, but the complex stories of this larger-than-life world are only just beginning. And we can't wait to see which directions the ongoing stories take as the two new spinoffs make their way to our screens in the years ahead.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 arrives on Netflix in 2026.