Stranger Things creators confirm spinoff with hidden Easter egg in season 5

2 January 2026, 16:31 | Updated: 2 January 2026, 18:08

By Katie Louise Smith

Will there be a Stranger Things spin-off? Is it about Montauk? Will it have any of the characters in it? Here's everything we know so far about the future of the 'Stranger Things Universe'.

The Stranger Things universe is expanding. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed that another live-action spin-off is in the works—and season 5 included a small hint at what it's going to be about... Did you spot it?

As we mourn the loss of Stranger Things (and the characters we lost—or so it seems—along the way...), brand new stories is being cooked up behind-the-scenes.

Netflix currently has two spin-offs in development (that we know of), including an animated series called Stranger Things: Tales from '85 and a new series with brand new mythology that connects to the flagship show.

However, the spin-off will not feature Hawkins, the Upside Down or any of the characters that we know and love. It will be set in a different place, in a different decade, with a brand new cast and new characters.

Here's everything that's been revealed about the Stranger Things spin-off so far, what it's about and when fans can expect to see it on Netflix.

• Read more: Here's what happens to every character in the Stranger Things ending
• Read more: Is Eleven dead or alive in Stranger Things 5? Duffer brothers address ending

Will the Stranger Things spin-off be about Montauk?

In the epilogue, Hopper reveals to (now fiancée!) Joyce that he's been offered a new job as Chief of Police in Montauk, and they agree to move away to start their new life together.

Eagle-eyed fans will instantly recognise the place as the original title and setting for the show before it was changed to Stranger Things and Hawkins.

But as exciting as it sounds to be following Chief Hopper as he investigates weird goings-on in Montauk, with Joyce in their peaceful little beach home, that's not what the spin-off is about.

Confirming to Deadline that Montauk is not the spin-off, Ross Duffer said: "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."

Nor is it about Holly and her friends. "It's something much smaller than that. We've said this before, the spinoff idea we have, it is early days, but it is an entirely new mythology," Ross continued.

The Stranger Things spin-off will focus on the unanswered questions about the mysterious rock...

Speaking in a post-mortem interview with Entertainment Weekly after the end of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross confirmed that the glowing rock that young Henry Creel found inside the scientist's briefcase in the cave has a lot to do with what they're planning next.

"It is the one thing that we purposely left a bit of a question mark on that theoretically will be answered later down the line," Ross teased. "But that really was the one tiny little crack in the door that we wanted to leave open."

Don't worry, the spin-off is not just about the rock, or the mine... or the mining of the rock.

"I don't want to mislead people in thinking that that's really what the spinoff is about," Matt continued. "It's going to answer that question, but it's its own mythology. So it's very, very different."

He continued: "It's not a spinoff about the Mind Flayer. I don't want to set up false expectations, but for people who are frustrated that they don't know what exactly where that scientist came from, how he's in the cave, what the glowing rock is, at some point, that will be answered for you."

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The First Shadow play!

For those that have seen Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway and in the West End, there may be even more clues as to what the spin-off could be about...

In the play, it's revealed that Henry Creel discovers an injured scientist, who worked for Dr. Brenner, while playing in the caves near his home in Nevada. The scientist had stolen some "equipment" from the lab and ran away with it.

Exactly what's inside the briefcase is never revealed in the play, all we know is that Henry went missing for 12 hours and that he was never the same after he left the cave. As we now know from the show, that's because the rock had a connection to the Mind Flayer which absorbed into the gunshot wound in Henry's hand, linking him to the Mind Flayer and changing him forever.

However, it's unclear if the spin-off will be based on anything else brought up in the play as the Duffers have said that there would be "new characters, new town, new world and new mythology" and all of that is seemingly connected to The Abyss and the Mind Flayer.

When will the Stranger Things spin-off come out?

It's going to be quite a while before the spin-off hits our screens. The Duffer brothers and the extended creative team are still working on it.

In an interview with Variety, they shared an update: "We’re going to start working on it again on Monday. We’ve been working on it on and off."

Nothing has been announced yet, including the title or the new actors. But stay tuned, once the dust settles on Stranger Things, we're sure there'll be more information very soon.

What is Stranger Things: Tales from '85?

The other confirmed 'spin-off' series happening at Netflix is Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which is an animated series that takes place between the events of season 2 and 3. The series includes Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin and Max as they confront new monsters of the Upside Down and unravel a "paranormal mystery terrorising their town".

The tone is said to be more family-friendly and brighter in visuals than the live-action show (described by Netflix and press reports as “entry-level Stranger Things” suitable for broader audiences).

The characters will not be voiced by their original actors. Tales from '85 will be released as some point in 2026.

Read more about Stranger Things here:

• Jamie Campbell Bower is taking a break from villains after mental toll of Stranger Things 5
• Will there be a Stranger Things 6? Here's why it's ending with season 5
• What happened to Vickie in Stranger Things 5? Fans spot Robin clue revealing truth
• Stranger Things' Will Byers coming out scene was different in the original draft
• Stranger Things edits out major filming mistake in Holly Wheeler scene

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