Stranger Things' Eleven Officially Returns Twice In 2026 After Season 5 Backlash

6 days ago 9

Eleven in Stranger Things season 5 episode 4

Published Feb 5, 2026, 3:21 PM EST

Felipe Rangel is a Superheroes Lead Writer and Reviewer at ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021, with a focus on superhero projects. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Since the launch of the Superheroes vertical in 2023, he has focused his efforts on coming up with insightful analyses of Marvel and DC's projects.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

Stranger Things has ended, but Eleven's time in the franchise is far from over, no matter what the finale hinted at, as the character will be back in two 2026 releases. Throughout Stranger Things' five seasons, Joe Keery's Steve Harrington probably grew to become the Netflix Sci-Fi series' most popular character. However, Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven remains the face of the show.

It all started with Eleven and her mysterious powers in season 1, and it would end with El seemingly sacrificing herself as the Upside Down was destroyed to stop the cycle of violence and let her friends live their lives. Stranger Things' ending proved itself controversial, particularly due to El's heartbreaking finale after suffering so much. Thankfully, fans will be able to get more of the character quite soon.

Eleven Returns In 2 Connected 2026 Stranger Things Projects

Dustin, Will, Nikki, Eleven, and Mike in Stranger Things Tales from 85

Eleven is coming back in two different mediums in 2026, though they are connected. The first of them is Netflix's Stranger Things replacement, which happens to be the Sci-Fi series' first spinoff show. Recently, Netflix released the first trailer for Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which drops on the streaming service on April 23, 2026.

The animated series is not a sequel, as it takes place between Stranger Things seasons 2 and 3. Still, it will explore never-before-seen adventures with Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, Max, and the rest of the show's stars, bringing back the popular characters merely four months after the Netflix series ended. Fans lost El in December 2025, but they will soon find her again this April.

Millie Bobby Brown and the rest of the cast are not returning for the Stranger Things spinoff, but Eleven will be back with her friends, which is the most important part. Additionally, Eleven will also return in Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Chapter Book #1, which will be released on September 1, 2026. The book is a companion to the animated series, connecting El's two 2026 projects.

Will Millie Bobby Brown Ever Return As Stranger Things' Eleven In Live-Action?

Eleven at the end of Stranger Things season 5

While Eleven will be back in two different projects in 2026, I'm sure most fans will continue to wonder whether Millie Bobby Brown could ever play the character again after Stranger Things season 5. Given how the Duffer Brothers are not interested in a Stranger Things sequel series, that does not seem likely to happen in the near future.

However, in the age of streaming, several hit shows have returned with new seasons, sequels, and reboots over the last few years. As such, no one can truly shoot down a Stranger Things sequel series, especially since Netflix would certainly love to do it, a decade or so from now. If that were to happen, then Eleven's status in the Stranger Things universe could be firmly answered.