'Stranger Things' season 5's most anticipated finale just aired recently and hinted at a possible spin-off. Amid this, fans realised that one of the show's actors had already 'spoiled' it 3 years ago.
At long last, our favourite series, Stranger Things, has finally reached its end. Season 1 of the show first premiered on Netflix in July, 2016. Owing to its popularity, it successfully ran for 5 seasons in the span of a decade. The last season, Stranger Things Season 5's most-awaited finale aired on December 31, 2025, at 8 pm ET. However, after it aired, what caught viewers' eyes the most was the episode's epilogue, hinting at a potential Stranger Things spin-off. Though there is no official confirmation yet, the chances of a Stranger Things spin-off and what it may entail were 'spoiled' almost three years ago by one of the series' actors.
If you have been following Stranger Things and its creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, you might have heard of the sci-fi horror concept, 'Montauk,' which they created before honing it into their show. As the name suggests, this early concept took place in the town of Montauk rather than Hawkins. Now, if you watched the Stranger Things Season 5 finale, you must have caught 'Hopper' (David Harbour) and 'Joyce' going on a date at 'Enzo's', where the former proposes that they move to Montauk. The name-drop, although quite sudden, was actually a deliberate move on the Duffer Brothers' part. In an interview with Netflix Tudum, they explained:
"That final scene with them [Hopper and Joyce] had been planned for quite some time. It's very difficult what Hopper went through, especially with Eleven, and we liked the idea of him and Joyce having an opportunity to start a new chapter in their lives [...] And, of course, we did the Montauk shout-out [where Hopper has a job offer] because the show was originally going to be set in Montauk. It felt like a nice little wink to the superfans of the show who were aware of that nugget."
On the off chance that there is an actual Stranger Things spin-off in the future, many think that Montauk could easily take centre stage for the same. This would also help the creators add a darker, grittier tone compared to the original show, which, in its own right, draws on the real-life conspiracy theory surrounding the Montauk Project. Furthermore, with the Stranger Things animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, already announced, a live-action spin-off set in Montauk doesn't seem too far-fetched.
While fans are wholeheartedly demanding a Stranger Things spin-off to see more of their favourite characters, Finn Wolfhard, who plays ‘Mike Wheeler' on the show, might have given a hint regarding the same almost 3 years back, and viewers are only just realising it. Upon appearing as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2023, the actor clarified that he was joking when he said:
"Oh, they're all going to have us back in 20 years, we're all going to be fat and old and being like, 'Eleven, where are you?' you know, that kind of thing."
Finn added that he told the Duffer Brothers that if they wanted to do a Stranger Things spin-off, it should definitely be like that. He recalled the creators being confused after hearing his words. After taking some time to process Finn's words, they asked, "Can we talk to you for a second?"
After taking Finn aside, Matt and Ross Duffer told him that ‘that is the idea' and asked him if anyone had spilt the beans to him. When Finn Wolfhard replied in the negative, the actor recounted again:
"They were like, 'What do you mean? You just came up with it?' And I was like, 'Well, no, I just thought that that would be a cool way to kind of expand.'"
What are your thoughts on a possible Stranger Things spin-off? Let us know.
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