'Stranger Things' Officially Returns to Netflix in New Trailer Following Divisive "Conclusion"

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Noah Schnapp in Stranger Things Season 5

Published Feb 2, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

Stranger Things may have ended in spectacular fashion late last year, but Netflix is inviting you to return to Hawkins, Indiana this spring. Eleven and Mike and all the gang are back, like you've never seen them, in the first trailer for the new animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85. The series will premiere on Netflix on April 23, 2026.

The trailer opens in 1985, between seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things: it's winter in Hawkins, the perfect time for tobogganing, snowball fights, and some cozy Dungeons & Dragons sessions when it gets too cold outside. Meanwhile, despite winter's chill, love is blossoming between Mike and Eleven (over Jim Hopper's objections), and between Lucas and Max; even Steve is looking for love, although he still isn't over Nancy. But, because this is Hawkins, there's darkness on the edge of town, as a new batch of monstrous creatures have emerged to menace our heroes. There are giant spiders, mini-Mind Flayers, and a pumpkin-headed monstrosity freakier than anything from Return to Oz. Has something from the Upside Down survived, or do these Real Ghostbusters-style abominations have an even more sinister origin? You'll have to tune into Netflix this spring to find out.

Who Are the Creatives Behind 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'?

Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer return as executive producers for Tales of '85, as does Shawn Levy. The series is showrun by animation veteran Eric Robles (Fanboy and Chum Chum, Glitch Techs). Robles teases the new series, stating, "We get to spend time with these kids in a way that you did not have time to in the flagship series. We were able to freeze time and really go on these never before told adventures with them in this timeline. We want the audience to feel that these kids are in danger, the stakes are real, and bad things can happen to anyone. And things do happen that are very scary in a sense, so that really makes the danger for the kids that much more tangible."

Tales From '85 features the voices of Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, Jeremy Jordan as Steve, and Brett Gipson as Hopper. It will also feature new characters voiced by Odessa A'zion (Marty Supreme), Lou Diamond Phillips (The Chair Company), and Janeane Garofalo (Reality Bites).