On Air Now
The Capital Weekender with Meg McHugh 10pm - 1am
Stranger Things 4 theory says Eleven could become the villain next season
13 August 2019, 21:28
Like Will in season 2, and Billy in season 3... this theory suggests Eleven could end up as the monster.
Everyone sit down and strap in, another wild Stranger Things 4 theory has just popped up involving Eleven's role in the next season and we need to discuss ASAP.
Since season 3 dropped in July, we've already seen a ton of theories floating around about what could possibly happen in season 4 – most of them theorising whether or not David Harbour's Jim Hopper is alive (that Han Solo theory is veeeery convincing) and if he is, what happened to him? (Is he the American in Russia? Or is he in the Upside Down?)
READ MORE: Stranger Things season 4: Release date, spoilers, cast, news and everything we know
This new theory however, posted on Reddit by user weedmonkey666, focuses on Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) role in season 4 and goes as far as to suggest that she might end up as...the villain. DUN DUN DUNNNN.
What?! A villain? Not my sweet baby Jane 'El' Hopper! Not on my watch! And not on Joyce Byers' watch either!
The theory starts by pointing out two other fan theories: One in which fans have drawn comparisons between the lyrics of 'Never Ending Story' to the Mind Flayer ('Make believe I'm everywhere/Given in the light') and one that theorises that the Mind Flayer's shadow was projected onto Eleven's head as she drove out of Hawkins with Joyce.
Here's a screenshot of the aforementioned shadow that's been doing the rounds... (Side note: Honestly, I think it literally might just be the shadow of some telephone poles outside or the shadow from the frame of the van and not the Mind Flayer but... whatever.)
The theory then continues: "In the first and second season, Will gets infected by the mind flayer via the tube thing down in throat while in the upside down. At the end of season 1 we see him throw up a slug (baby demogorgon), and later in season 2 he had various flashbacks/visions of the upside down. where he sees the mind flayer. [sic]"
"In season 3, Billy's car breaks down at Steel Works and gets a bite, this bite seems to be the cause of him being infected and the mind flayer being able to control him later on. Also in season 3, Eleven also gets bitten by the monster in the cabin. Later she pulls out a slug (baby demo) from her cut/bite."
The theory then suggests that the 'shadow' (which may or may not be the shadow of the van) cast across El's face signifies her having 'vision', like Will in season 2.
"This means that the gate is not completely shut or there is another entrance/gate. This is supported by the fact that in the post credit scene of the last episode of season 3, we saw the Russians holding a demodog."
"If Eleven is infected, the mind flayer could control her like it did with Billy, Will and the flayed, to eventually destroy her or use her to get more control/spread."
WELL! THEN!
It's certainly plausible. We've seen what happens when the Mind Flayer marks and then manages to take a host. We saw it with Will in season 2 and Billy and the Flayed in season 3. While Eleven never became a host and managed to remove whatever burrowed itself into her leg, it still could potentially have marked her, making her a target.
However, the Mind Flayer died (along with host Billy) when Joyce closed the gate at the end of season 3, cutting off the source. The possibility of Eleven being used as a potential host in the future would depend on whether the gate is ever reopened in Hawkins.
And, with a gate now clearly open somewhere in Russia, we'll have to wait and see how (and if) Will or Eleven are able to sense it from wherever they've moved to.
There's no doubt that Eleven will play a key part in season 4's Upside Down/Russian Demogorgon storyline - whether that has anything to do with her regaining her powers remains to be seen.
