Netflix finally unveiled their new animated series for Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original show.
After Stranger Things Season 5’s bittersweet and controversial ending, Netflix just released a new teaser for the franchise’s next upcoming project. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 is the first animated series, set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the hit live-action show. The new teaser trailer revealed that the release date will be April 23, 2026. Netflix also published new images and art, along with its voice cast.
Here is the description of Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, provided by Netflix: “Return to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an exciting new animated series from Showrunner Eric Robles and Executive Producers the Duffer Brothers. In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days.
But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this untold story set in the Stranger Things universe.”
The new takeaways from this teaser were that they introduced some new creatures from the Upside Down, either a different version of the Demobats or something else entirely and a Demogorgon-Pumpkin…? Either way, the stakes were still high in this fast-paced teaser. Mike is almost impaled by a saw blade before Eleven stops it with her powers. All of this is shown with a slow rendition of “Always Something There to Remind Me” by Naked Eyes.
“We get to spend time with these kids in a way that you did not have time to in the flagship series,” showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles shared. “We were able to freeze time and really go on these never-before-told adventures with them in this timeline.” Even though fans know how the story goes after the events of Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, the creators wanted to increase the risk.
“We want the audience to feel that these kids are in danger, the stakes are real, and bad things can happen to anyone,” Robles said. “And things do happen that are very scary in a sense, so that really makes the danger for the kids that much more tangible.” Just from watching this teaser, I felt like this animated series could make the characters we love do a lot crazier things with insane stakes.
Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 features all the characters we know and love, but will be voiced by a completely new cast. Netflix confirmed that Jeremy Jordan is the voice of Steve. Jordan is the voice of Lucifer Morningstar in the adult animated musical series Hazbin Hotel. Here is a list of the other stars in this new supplementary series:
- Brooklyn Davey Norstedt is Eleven
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport is Max
- Luca Diaz as Mike
- Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas
- Braxton Quinney as Dustin
- Benjamin Plessala as Will
- Brett Gipson as Hopper
- Jeremy Jordan as Steve
- Odessa A’zion
- Janeane Garofalo
- Lou Diamond Phillips
While fans are still locked in Conformity Gate, the Duffer Brothers appear to be moving on with their next projects. On top of Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, there is also an unnamed live-action series spinoff in the works. Not much is known about this title, but it is expected to address a plot thread left over from the Season 5 finale. Possibly, it could follow Eleven’s solo adventures.
