Stranger Things 3 ended with some big changes for the Hawkins crew. Joyce, her sons Jonathan and Will, and Eleven left the town for greener pastures after another traumatic event, this one claiming the life of the beloved Chief Hopper…. or so we thought. The season also ended with an after-credits stinger that hinted the Russians had an American in captivity.
A new teaser for Stranger Things 4 is here to reveal that, as many of suspected, the captive in question is indeed Hopper. And he’s looking pretty rough.
This is great news for Stranger Things fans. First, it means David Harbour isn’t leaving the show and will still be a major figure going forward. Second, it also means they aren’t going to tease us for an entire year about his fate (something that annoyed Game of Thrones fans when the show pretended Kit Harington’s Jon Snow was dead between seasons, when everyone knew he’d be back). Hopper had a similarly vague “death,” so it seemed pretty likely from the offset he’d be back somehow. Addressing that in a teaser is a smart move.
But what does this mean for the next season of the show? Surely the others will find out Hopper is alive and try to get him back, right? Or will he try to get back himself? And what is this Russian prisoner chain gang working on, exactly? It looks like a railroad track, but Hopper was captured by scientist goons trying to open the Upside Down. Maybe this is some other ominous project of theirs.
The Duffer Brothers, who created Stranger Things, sent this note along with the new teaser:
“We’re excited to officially confirm that production on Stranger Things 4 is now underway — and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper! Although it’s not all good news for our “American”; he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human…and other. Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything….
Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime — pray for the American.”From Russia with love,
The Duffer Brothers
Is Hopper going to encounter the Demogorgon shown in Russia at the end of Stranger Things 4? And what could possibly be going on Hawkins? That poor Indiana town cannot catch a break.
Stranger Things 4 will hit Netflix sometime in 2020, as teased by the show’s writers on Twitter. In addition to Harbour, it stars Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke. The first three seasons are currently available (and ready to be binged) on Netflix.
We’ll keep you posted as more updates about the upcoming season become available. In the meantime, you can follow the official Stranger Things Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Featured Image: Netflix
