Why won’t there be a Stranger Things season 6?

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Watching the final episode of Stranger Things Season 5, ‘The Rightside Up,’ felt like saying goodbye to old friends. After nearly ten years of following the characters in Hawkins, it was a really emotional experience, and honestly, I wasn’t ready for it to end! That feature-length finale definitely gave us a proper send-off, though it was hard to see it all conclude.

The popular sci-fi series, set in the 1980s, quickly became a huge hit for Netflix and captured the public’s imagination. However, the show was always intended to have five seasons, and now it’s coming to a close, as the creators, the Duffer Brothers, originally planned.

The creators are starting two new shows for the streaming platform – The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen – but they haven’t ruled out returning to the world of Stranger Things in the future. An animated series will be released later this year, and another live-action project is also in development.

The stage play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” continues to be a big hit, drawing large audiences in both London’s West End and on Broadway in New York.

Here’s what the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers, have shared about finishing the show and what might happen next with the story.

Why won’t there be a Stranger Things season 6?

The show’s creators always planned for it to last just four or five seasons, explaining they didn’t want it to overstay its welcome and lose viewers like some other long-running series.

That wasn’t true at all. The first episode of the fifth and final season actually received an incredible 59.6 million views in its first five days, making it the most popular premiere week ever for an English-language show on the platform.

The creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, have talked about wanting the show to have a clear and definitive ending. They even consulted Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, for guidance on crafting a satisfying finale, as they shared during interviews for season 2.

Matt Duffer recently shared with TopMob that filming the show’s ending was a very emotional experience. He explained that they scheduled it so each actor’s last scene was also their last day of filming.

He explained that those days were incredibly difficult. However, he felt it was even harder for him and Ross, as they had to relive the experience repeatedly to capture the final moments for everyone else.

He explained that the strong performance of the first season gave them the freedom to create the story they envisioned.

The creators of Stranger Things have decided to end the show now to make sure it finishes strong. They want to avoid the common problem of long-running series losing quality and viewers towards the end – just look at what happened with the final season of Game of Thrones as an example!

Are there any Stranger Things spin-offs in the works?

Although it’s unlikely we’ll see more live-action episodes with the original Stranger Things cast, the show’s creators are actively developing an animated spin-off that will include those same beloved characters.

Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 centers on Eleven, Max, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will as they encounter frightening new creatures and investigate a strange, unsettling mystery that’s plaguing their community.

According to showrunner Eric Robles, the new series, taking place in 1985 between the second and third seasons of Stranger Things, will center around a season-long mystery filled with scary moments, as he shared with Entertainment Weekly.

I’m really excited to hear they’re working on a live-action spin-off of Stranger Things! The Duffer brothers are keeping things pretty close to the vest, though. Ross Duffer mentioned to TopMob that he couldn’t share too many details yet, which just makes me even more curious about what it’ll be!

I’ve been hearing whispers about a live-action spin-off for ages, and it sounds like the creators finally have the time to really dive into it. What’s exciting is that it won’t be a direct continuation of the main show’s story or anything happening in Hawkins – it’s a completely new direction, which I think is a smart move.

He assured fans that the upcoming story will be fresh and original, while still fitting within the established world.

Matt confirmed it definitely has a ‘Stranger Things’ vibe. He said they’ll start fully developing the spin-off as soon as the fifth season of ‘Stranger Things’ is out, and they’re really looking forward to it.

What can fans expect from Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85?

While the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix sci-fi series provided a satisfying conclusion, the story isn’t over! More adventures in this universe are already planned.

I’m so excited! We’re finally getting a new show set in the Stranger Things universe later this year! It’s an animated spin-off, and honestly, it sounds like it’s going to be a huge hit – kind of like what Marvel’s been doing with their animated shows recently. I have high hopes!

Inspired by the positive reception of shows like X-Men ’97, the Duffer Brothers aimed to create something that felt like a classic 80s cartoon.

According to showrunner Eric Robles, the series will have a thrilling edge and feature a wide array of impressive monsters.

He emphasized the serious nature of the situation, stating that the consequences for children are very real and there’s no guarantee everything will be alright. He explained it wasn’t a trivial matter, and they couldn’t simply assume a positive outcome.

The original actors who voiced the characters won’t be back for this season. Instead, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt will voice Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport will voice Max, Luca Diaz will voice Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams will voice Lucas, Braxton Quinney will voice Dustin, Benjamin Plessala will voice Will, and Brett Gipson will voice Hopper.

Although we might not see Hawkins and its quirky group of friends again – or perhaps ever – the Duffer Brothers plan to continue expanding their popular world with new stories and adventures.

Most shows don’t end at their peak – often they continue long after they’ve lost their impact. This show’s ending, though sad, feels like a classy and well-timed farewell.

Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is coming to Netflix in 2026.

Authors

Nicola AustinFreelance Writer

Nicola Austin is a freelance journalist with a passion for science fiction, fantasy, and animation. She’s written for many publications, including Empire, Digital Spy, and SciFiNow, covering TV and film. She’s a firm believer that ‘The Mummy’ is a classic 90s film.

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2026-01-01 04:35