'Stranger Things' Spinoff Arrives on Netflix Just 4 Months After Show's Finale

Four months after the record-breaking finale of Stranger Things, the show is returning the Netflix in the form of an animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales From '85.

The spinoff show arrives on Netflix on April 23, bringing audiences back to Hawkins, Indiana for a brand new adventure in the world of Stranger Things.

Though stars like Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, and David Harbour won't be returning for the show, their characters will. The show will center on the characters that fans already know and love, brought to live by a new cast of voice actors.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 will feature Brett Gipson, Luca Diaz, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Braxton Quinney, Elisha Williams, Ben Plessala, Jolie Haong-Rappaport, Jeremy Jordan, and Odessa A'zion in the lead roles, and will be produced by main series creators Matt and Ross Duffer.

The story will reportedly take place between the events of Stranger Things' second and third seasons, during the period when the main gate to the mysterious Upside-Down was closed.

According to The Wrap, the upcoming spinoff will aim for a more family-friendly tone that centers around the young characters and their adventures rather than the darker horrors of the main series.

Stranger Things officially came to a close on December 31, 2025, with the massively anticipated finale episode that immediately broke streaming records on Netflix. The final season remained in Netflix's Top 10 most-watched series rankings for over 90 days before it was finally toppled.

The show has been a massive cultural touchstone for the past decade, and Netflix undeniably owes much of its success as a streaming platform to Matt and Ross Duffer's iconic series.

Alongside shows like Wednesday and Squid Game, Stranger Things proved that Netflix is capable of making big-budget, high-quality shows that redefined the streaming era forever. While Season 4 remains the show's most-watched, Season 5 put up a good fight and served as a faithful conclusion to the main show.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 13, 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 April 13, 2026 at 6:37 AM.