The first season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix in July of 2016 and changed the landscape of television. Introducing a cast of child characters set back in the 1980s, a nostalgic synth soundtrack, the dramatic stylings of Winona Ryder, and a whole lot of heart, Stranger Things was an instant hit and has remained popular ever since. The second season followed in October of 2017, just a few days before Halloween; the third and most recent season was released in July of 2019.
The longest gap between seasons to date is between seasons three and four, with seemingly no end to the hiatus in sight. However, with filming in progress and the Stranger Things writers continuously teasing fans on Twitter, audiences are yearning for more information on season 4. Luckily, there is some information to learn about the show’s fourth season.
10 Production Began In March Of 2020
Keeping on track with the production schedules of the first three seasons, the fourth season of Stranger Things began in March of 2020. Of course, all audiences know that this is when pandemic restrictions also began in earnest in the United States, where Stranger Things most frequently films, and so there were frequent breaks in production before there was a long stall.
It seems that the production process is still ongoing, with potentially no end in sight as the pandemic continues to make all industries deeply unstable. It’s likely that production will continue for a great deal longer with the way things have been going.
9 Filming Officially Picked Up Again In October Of 2020
While there were many pandemic restrictions that made it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to produce and film Stranger Things in 2020, filming did officially pick back up again in October of 2020. Netflix confirmed on Twitter on the first day of October 2020 that filming had started up again, making fans hopeful for a spring release on season 4.
However, looking at the past pattern of Stranger Things season release dates, the most likely candidates for a drop would either be July of 2021 or October of 2021. If production is delayed again, this filming may be delayed even further, unfortunately.
8 Hopper Isn’t Dead, It Seems
One of the most devastating moments in Stranger Things thus far has been the death of main character— and fan favorite— Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour. However, at the end of season 3, Russian soldiers are heard referring to someone they only call “the American.” Audiences were hopeful that “the American” could only be referring to the presumed-dead Jim Hopper, and a season 4 teaser trailer only seemed to confirm this theory.
The teaser trailer shows Jim Hopper alive and well, even showing a direct shot of his face, just in case anybody had any doubts. The Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, told fans in their officially statement on season 4 that the season would feature the return of Hopper, so it seems the man isn’t dead after all.
7 Hopper Coming Back To Life Isn’t The Only Season 4 Plot About Him
It seems that the return of Hopper won’t be David Harbour’s only job in Stranger Things season 4. David Harbour mentioned during a panel at Comic Con Liverpool that season 4 of Stranger Things would not only be exploring Jim Hopper’s return from the grave, but would also be revealing secrets from Hopper’s past.
Previously, fans only knew about his late daughter and a previous marriage; more details of Hopper’s past have remained largely clouded. However, David Harbour reminded fans that, in season 2 of Stranger Things, Eleven sees boxes in Hopper’s basement labeled things like "Dad," "Vietnam," and "New York." It seems that there is still much to learn about Jim Hopper and the life he lived before he helped save Will Byers in Hawkins, Indiana.
6 There Are Eight New Cast Members
In the past, cast members being added to Stranger Things have always been met with initial trepidation and eventual love. Fans like what they like and know what they know, but the show is so well-written that even the most minor of characters, like Alec Utgoff’s Alexei, can quickly become beloved.
It was announced that Stranger Things season 4 would be adding eight brand-new cast members to the show. These cast members are: Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard, a caring orderly; Eduardo Franco as Argyle, a fun-loving stoner; Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, an audacious metalhead; Robert Englund as Victor Creel, a disturbed, intimidating man; Tom Wlashicha as Dmitri, a Russian prison guard; Sherman Augustus as Lt. Colonel Sullivan, an intelligent, no-nonsense man; Mason Dye as Jason Carver, a handsome, rich sports star; and Nikola Djuricko as Yuri, a Russian smuggler.
5 The Supporting Cast Isn’t Going Anywhere
In addition to the eight cast members being added to the fourth season of Stranger Things, there are quite a few supporting cast members returning to the show. The main cast is important, but the supporting cast on a show like Stranger Things is vital. The heart of the show exists in the supporting cast, which makes fans feel lucky that much of the supporting cast will be returning to the show.
Among the cast returning is: Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield; Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler; Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers; Joe Keery as Steve Harrington; Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley; Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair; Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler; Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman; and, surprisingly, it seems that Ross Partridge may be returning as Lonnie Byers, the father of Jonathan and Will Byers— and Joyce’s estranged husband.
4 Most Of The Main Cast Is Returning, Too
While it’s important that the new cast and the supporting cast work well together to make Stranger Things season 4 the best that it can be, the center stage must be well-populated, too. The main cast of Stranger Things has always gone above and beyond, and, fortunately, they will all be returning to the show for its fourth season.
Millie Bobby Brown will be returning as Eleven, also known as Jane Hopper, along with the rest of the main cast: Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers.
3 The First Episode Is Titled “The Hellfire Club”
While the date that fans will actually see the first episode of the fourth season of Stranger Things remains to be seen, fans do know the name of the first episode. The Stranger Things writers revealed on Twitter that the first episode would be titled “The Hellfire Club.”
As the wait for a fourth season stretched on even longer, it was announced that the second episode would be titled “Tick Tock Mr. Clock,” and the third episode titled “You Snooze You Lose.” Fans know that the Hellfire Club is an official D&D club being run by Eddie Munson at Hawkins High School. Eddie Munson, fans know, is also at the center of season 4’s key mystery, so this makes the first episode’s title all the more intriguing.
2 Season 4 Will Be The Darkest & Scariest Yet
While, on the surface, Stranger Things has always been brightly colored and filled with playful 1980s nostalgia, the show has always had a darker underbelly. Winona Ryder’s desperate portrayal of a mother hellbent on finding her son in season 1 made that clear right out of the gate.
As the fourth season looms closer, though, it seems that it will be the darkest season yet. Gaten Matarazzo, the actor who plays Dustin, has made references that indicate to fans that season 4 will be the darkest and scariest season of Stranger Things yet.
1 The Release Date Isn’t Officially Set Yet
While fans know the cast, many details about the characters in season 4, and a lot of information regarding the production of Stranger Things, one thing they don’t know is when the show will be released. There has been no news as of yet about when, exactly, the fourth season will be released, but fans hope it will be soon.
Netflix has a multi-year deal with the Duffer Brothers, so they will definitely be developing more seasons of the show, too. Additionally, when season 4 was announced, there was a video that declared: “We’re not in Hawkins anymore.” This pairs with the idea of Russian settings, and with the fact that there was filming taking place in New Mexico. However, this makes production a bit more difficult, so a release date seems potentially quite far off.