Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Spin-Off Teases Steve Harrington’s Most Complicated Season 5 Plot

Stranger Things features a cast of unique characters, and the standout is Steve Harrington (Joe Keery). His evolution from stereotypical jock to selfless warrior is arguably one of the best character journeys on television. That journey continues in Stranger Things: Tales from '85, a new animated series set between the events of Stranger Things Seasons 2 and 3. Tales from '85 is meant to tap into the early magic of Stranger Things, featuring plenty of Upside Down threats and the character dynamics fans love. Its very first trailer also reveals that Steve is still in love with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer).

In the Tales from '85 trailer. Steve (voiced by Jeremy Jordan) is shown speaking with another girl his age, Natalie, who admits she has a crush on him. Without missing a beat, Steve says, "I always had a crush on you, too, Nancy." While it could be argued that Steve confused Nancy and Natalie, it's no surprise that he still thinks about Nancy. The pair dated throughout Seasons 1 and 2, until Nancy broke up with Steve because of the guilt of losing her friend Barb (Shannon Purser) and ofwitnessing the terrors of the Upside Down. While they eventually reconcile and become friends, Stranger Things: Tales from '85 suggests that Steve's feelings will play a major role in the plot.

'Stranger Things' Has Hinted That Steve Still Loves Nancy

While the reveal of Steve's feelings might be a shock to some Stranger Things fans, others know it's not the first time he's confirmed he still loves Nancy. Season 4 dropped a major hint during the Season 4 episode "Papa"; while Nancy and Steve are driving to pick up weapons for the upcoming battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), Steve tells her about his dream for the future. That dream includes taking "a full brood of Harringtons" in an RV like the one he's driving, not to fight eldritch horrors but to spend a day at the lake. The fact that Steve opens up to Nancy about all this confirms he wants her to join him on that trip, even if he doesn't say it out loud.

Even Stranger Things Season 5 seemed like it was setting the stage for Steve and Nancy to reunite, especially when Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) "un-proposes" to Nancy when they're trapped in a flesh-melting bubble. Yet the two take separate paths by the end of the series finale, "The Rightside Up," with Nancy taking a job at the Boston Herald and Steve picking up Little League coaching duties at Hawkins High. Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer reveal that this finale was where they wanted the characters to end up, with Ross pointing out that Nancy was still figuring out her life.

"And then for Nancy, we never want her to take the obvious path. Even in Season 1 when she’s going down the trajectory that all these suburban girls go down, Nancy obviously has proven to be much more independent than that, which is one reason she and Jonathan aren’t together at the end. She’s still trying to find herself and what she wants from the world, so that’s why we wanted to give her that ending."

The scene where Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, and Robin (Maya Hawke) reunite has a bittersweet edge, as they've all grown apart yet promise to stay in touch. This is the Duffers' way of leaving the door open for anyone who wants to tell more stories in the Stranger Things world, and could be how Steve and Nancy rekindle their romance.

Romance is a Key Part of the Narrative in 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85'

Steve won't be the only character going through romantic issues in Stranger Things: Tales from '85. The series is set to explore how two of the most prominent couples got together, with a focus on Mike (Luca Diaz) and Eleven (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) as well as Lucas (Elisha “EJ” Williams) and Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport). Showrunner Eric Robles previously teased that Tales from '85 will dig deeper into the characters in a way that the flagship show didn't, while still retaining the elements that made fans fall in love with it. One of those elements was the ebb and flow of the romance, and Steve's lingering feelings for Nancy are a big part of that.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 will premiere exclusively on Netflix on April 23, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.