“Stranger Things” has has officially come to an end but according to creators Matt and Ross Duffer, the universe can continue to exist.
The season five finale took place on New Year's Eve, with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends defeating Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) once and for all.
The last episode entitled “The Right Side Up” also saw Eleven sacrifice herself destroy Upside Down. Meanwhile, the rest of Hawkins' teenagers graduated from high school and entered a new era of their lives.
But what next? According to the Duffer brothers, this is a continuation of the Stranger Things storyline, but with a twist.
What will the Stranger Things spin-off be about?
In an interview with DiversityThe Duffer Brothers are asked to describe the stone that young Henry finds in the briefcase he took from the scientist in the cave.
They then teased a spin-off focusing on just that.
“The spinoff will go into that and explain it and you'll understand it,” Matt Duffer said. “But that’s a completely different mythology.”
Matt Duffer explained that the spin-off “is not an in-depth exploration of the Mind Flayer.”
“It's very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some remaining questions,” he added.
Matt Duffer noted that they are very excited to “work with a clean slate: completely new characters, a new city, a new world, a new mythology.”
According to the brothers, the spin-off “will not share any of the characters” from Stranger Things.
When will the spin-off be released?
A spin-off is currently in development.
Ross Duffer revealed that they will return to the writers' room on Monday after the series finale.
“We've been working on it from time to time. We'll take a few days off,” he said.
Matt Duffer added: “You don't understand. My favorite part of the show is working on it. Not releasing it is just stressful, no matter how it goes when you release it.”
“I like the creative part. I like doing it,” he said.
Stranger Things already has a spin-off
Although it is not widely available to everyone, there is performance “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”.
It first opened in London's West End in December 2023 before heading to Broadway on April 22, 2025. The play tells the origin story of how Henry Creel became Vecna.
The play begins with high school student Henry meeting high school students Joyce, Hopper and Bob Newby. Henry also begins an affair with Bob's sister, Patty.
However, after the incident in the cave (yes, the one from season 5), he goes into another dimension. Young Henry, known as the Black Hollow, encounters the Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer.
As viewers know, Henry develops telekinetic abilities, which intrigue Dr. Brenner. Henry becomes the doctor's first test subject compared to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven.
The Duffer Brothers previously told TODAY.com that fans don't have to see the play to understand Vecna/Henry. Matt Duffer noted that Season 5, Vol. 2 explained that “half of Henry's memory” was “trying to hide from where he discovered the scientist in the cave when he was a child.”
People will then see the second half of this flashback in the ending.
“The play is really about what happens after that. So in some ways the play is a continuation of that moment,” Matt Duffer said, with Ross Duffer adding, “So it's really about Henry and his connection to the Mind Flayer. But again, the goal was for it to work as a standalone story, but also to work as a companion piece in some ways.”
