New info on characters venturing to the Upside Down for Stranger Things 4

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The cast of Netflix's STRANGER THINGS could be getting considerably bigger, thanks to four new characters who are reportedly joining the series for its fourth season.

According to TV Line, the runaway Netflix series is adding four recurring male characters when the show makes its inevitable return. As per the report, three of the new characters will be teenagers, including an "entitled jock," a "stoner," and a "metalhead." As for the fourth, it's been said an older male who figures prominently into … well, let's just say an "overseas" storyline, will also be introduced.

CAUTION: SPOILERS FOR STRANGER THINGS SEASON 3 coming in 3 … 2 … 1 …

The notion of STRANGER THINGS Season 4 taking place outside of Hawkins will come as no surprise for those who've seen the final episode of the show's third bow. At the end of Season 3, following the supposed death of Hawkins’ Sheriff Jim Hooper (David Harbour) as part of a sacrificial play to beat back the creatures encroaching from the Upside Down, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is seen taking her sons (and Eleven) away from the not-so-quiet Indiana town to start their new life. However, an after-credits sequence finds us in the far Eastern reaches of the USSR, where guards can be found feeding prisoners to an incarcerated Demogorgon. During this scene we hear a USSR agent instruct, "not the American," which many have assumed is Hopper, having been transported to an underground bunker located in Russia.

Despite some aspects of the new season taking place overseas, the Duffers have teased, “We can’t wait to tell many more stories together — beginning, of course, with a return trip to Hawkins!”

Word has it that the show's creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, have recently renegotiated their Netflix contract to reflect the explosive-success of their STRANGER THINGS series, a merchandising juggernaut that has invaded retailers across the globe with deals for apparel, collectible figures, Halloween costumes and much more.

“The Duffer Brothers have captivated viewers around the world with Stranger Things and we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with them to bring their vivid imaginations to other film and series projects our members will love,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos, back in September. “We can’t wait to see what The Duffer Brothers have in store when they step outside the world of The Upside Down.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to continue our relationship with Netflix,” Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer said. “Ted Sarandos, Cindy Holland, Brian Wright, and Matt Thunell took a huge chance on us and our show — and forever changed our lives. From our first pitch meeting to the release of Stranger Things 3, the entire team at Netflix has been nothing short of sensational, providing us with the kind of support, guidance, and creative freedom we always dreamed about. We can’t wait to tell many more stories together — beginning, of course, with a return trip to Hawkins!”

The fourth installment of the Netflix's STRANGER THINGS series is expected to roll into production within the coming months. With plenty of details still to be ironed out, it's to be suspected that we won't see the Hawkins gang again until sometime well into 2020.