Stranger Things Spinoff Will Explore New Mythology, Not Focus on Holly Wheeler, Say Creators

Stranger Things may have wrapped up, but the universe crafted by the Duffer Brothers is set to expand with a new spinoff series in development. However, don’t expect any familiar faces, as the creators are aiming for “an entirely new mythology.”

Fans have been buzzing with theories about potential storylines, especially after the final episode hinted at two intriguing possibilities: Holly Wheeler’s preteen crew, who are gearing up to dive into Dungeons and Dragons in the Wheeler basement, and Jim and Joyce’s relocation to a new town, Montauk.

In a recent chat, Ross Duffer put some of those theories to rest, clarifying the spinoff’s direction. “I don’t know if I want to, but I will say, though, it’s not Hopper mentioning Montauk. There’s no Montauk spinoff. That was more of a wink to the fans, deep-cut fans that know that the show started as Montauk. It’s obviously not Holly and the kids or anything like that. It’s something much smaller than that,” he explained.

He further elaborated, “We’ve said this before, the spinoff idea we have, it is early days, but it is an entirely new mythology. So, it is connected, and it is going to answer some questions that people have, and there’s some lingering questions that weren’t answered in the finale that will be answered in the spinoff. But at the end of the day, it’s got its own story and its own mythology.”

Matt Duffer also shared a tantalizing detail with Variety about a significant element moving forward: the rock in the briefcase that Vecna discovered in the caves as a child, which ties back to his origins as the show’s antagonist.

“The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you’re going to understand it. But it’s a completely different mythology. So it’s not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It’s very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining,” he noted.

“It’s very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology,” he added, confirming that there won’t be any “common characters” from the main series.