Stranger Things season 5 is announced to be coming to Netflix, but the world is too big to be contained in just one series. This past July, it was announced that there will be a stage play set within the universe of Stranger Things and, additionally, there will be a spin-off coming to Netflix. The spin-off is said to be based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers. Details are kept secret as series regular Finn Wolfhard seems to be the only other person who knows about it.
The spin-off is not touted as a traditional Stranger Things sequel though. Plus, CBR reports that Shawn Levy, executive producer and director of the show, has been working with Kevin Feige on Deadpool 3 and is picking up an understanding about running a cinematic universe. This has inspired Levy to create his own STCU. Levy tells Variety, “Yes, we are building out the STCU, and now that I’m spending time with [chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment] Kevin Feige, I’m learning a lot about how to manage a universe. So I’m taking those skills and applying them to the STCU.”
The spin-off seems to be the first step in this direction. The Duffer Brothers have assured people that, “In terms of if we were to do any sort of a spinoff, or any continuation of Stranger Things, for us the bar was always, ‘Is the idea exciting enough that we feel the pull of wanting to do it again?’ I want to feel the pull of, ‘God, I really want to do this. I feel really, really excited about this.'” It is said to “feel like its own distinct thing” and not be like “what we’ve already done” on the popular Netflix show.
The final season of Stranger Things is planned for a 2024 release, although there is no word yet on the premiere dates of the stage play or the spin-off.
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