'Stranger Things' Creators Reveal New Details About Rumored Netflix Spinoff
On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer revealed some exciting new details about their long-rumored spinoff show at Netflix.
Long before Stranger Things wrapped up with its fifth season at the beginning of the year, the Duffers had teased that another live-action show would follow at Netflix at some point in the future. Since then, the writers have stayed mostly quiet about the rumors, focusing instead on Stranger Things: Tales of '85, an animated show that takes place alongside the main series.
With Tales of '85 confirmed for a second season following an impressive debut, the Duffers now feel more confident about the future of their live-action spinoff. There still hasn't been an official confirmation or release date, but the writers have teased some important details for fans to theorize about.
'Stranger Things' Spinoff Will Feature An Entirely New Cast
On the podcast, the Duffers debunked one of the leading theories that their upcoming spinoff will focus on the "next generation" of Stranger Things characters. This theory became increasingly popular after the finale was released, as Mike and his friends passed down their Dungeons & Dragons books to Holly and her friends.
However, that was never intended to be a hook-and-tease for a sequel show, the Duffers have confirmed. "It's very early… but it's definitely, it's totally new characters, totally different."
When asked more specifically if the new show would pick up where Stranger Things left off with Holly Wheeler, the Duffers confirmed: "No, because that [scene] also wasn't intended for that [...] That was really about sort of the passing the torch and [Mike] remembering back to his childhood and saying goodbye to it. It's obviously not setting anything up for a sequel."
"If Holly starts to [see] this weird stuff, she's gonna call her brother, and then it's like we're just making Stranger Things again," they added.
The Duffers didn't offer too many details about what their idea actually is, but they confirmed it's something they've been considering for a long time-not just something that they made up to keep the show's popularity burning.
"We've had one idea for what we could do with Stranger Things, and we had it like seven years ago. So that's what we're trying to do now [...] We don't want to rush it. We don't want it to be anything but excellent."
It could be a while before this now-confirmed Stranger Things spinoff sees the light of day-especially since the Duffer brothers are currently working on a feature-length movie at Paramount Pictures-but it's coming, and it promises to continue this beloved sci-fi franchise in a worthwhile way.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 3:03 PM.