Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 showrunner reveals why original cast aren’t reprising their roles

by

Though the live-action series Stranger Things has finished, the story continues with the new animated series Tales from ’85. While you’ll recognize the characters, they’ll have different voice actors.

This spin-off series takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the original show and features a completely new voice cast. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voices Eleven, Luca Diaz voices Mike Wheeler, Ben Plessala voices Will Byers, and others join them.

Since the actors in the original series had become so closely identified with their roles after five seasons, it might seem odd to replace them with new actors for the animated spin-off, especially with the creators of ‘Stranger Things’ overseeing the project.

Showrunner Eric Robles explained to TopMob that the decision was made to ensure the child characters sounded realistic and natural.

He explained that using the original voice actors would mean hearing older voices, which wouldn’t fit with the darker, deeper tones they were aiming for in season two. The change in voice quality would be noticeable and disrupt the show’s atmosphere.

We aimed to recreate the energetic and authentic feel of the show’s first seasons, something the Duffer Brothers particularly loved. They wanted dialogue that sounded natural and unscripted, as if the kids were just speaking off the cuff.

We really wanted to show the simple, genuine way kids act and speak. As adults, we often forget how we used to express ourselves when we were children, so we focused on capturing that pure, childlike quality.

We cast some amazing actors who really embodied the energy of youth for the show. A lot of their natural, off-the-cuff dialogue actually comes from them improvising during recording sessions, and we ended up using those moments in the final product.

Sometimes you’ll hear a voice change, like a natural crack or break, and that’s something you just don’t get from someone who’s older. We really wanted to capture that genuine sound, so we made sure to record the young actors at an age that felt true to the story and the time period.

At first, the actors auditioning didn’t know what the show was about. The creators reviewed countless audition tapes to find the right voices.

You know, what really struck me about the show is how incredibly natural the young actors were. We really managed to capture their genuine emotions – it felt so real, it was amazing.

It took a while, but we’re really happy with the voice actors we found – they truly capture the spirit of the characters. This animated series allows them to bring fresh perspectives to the stories and explore ideas we might not have considered with a live-action version.

This new series follows the group from Hawkins as they battle a fresh supernatural danger during a snowy winter. You’d think everything was safe with the gate to the Upside Down sealed, but things aren’t always what they seem…

The new Stranger Things animated special, Tales from ’85, will be released on Netflix on April 23rd. You can currently watch all previous seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix.

Don’t miss out on Stranger Things: Tales from ’85! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

Authors

Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor

Louise Griffin edits the Sci-Fi & Fantasy section at TopMob, where she writes about popular franchises like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Marvel, House of the Dragon, and Good Omens. Before TopMob, she was a Senior Entertainment Reporter at Metro and holds a degree in English Literature.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-04-17 10:38