The character of Eleven on Stranger Things, played brilliantly by actress Millie Bobby Brown, is key to what makes that show work so well, it’s almost impossible to imagine the series without her. And yet, if series creators the Duffer Brothers had kept to their original ideas for the show, it’s possible that season two of Stranger Things wouldn’t even have the character of Eleven in it at all.
In their original pitch, which we learned about via CinemaBlend, the show was supposed to be a one season “one and done” mini-series, and it would have apparently ended with Eleven sacrificing herself to save the lives of her friends Mike, Dustin and Lucas. here’s what the Duffers had to say about Eleven’s original fate:
“Maybe I shouldn’t say this because I like to pretend that it was all planned out, but it was originally pitched as a limited series. So it was like, Eleven was gonna sacrifice herself and save the world and then that was gonna be it, because there was a moment where limited series were a big deal.”
Of course, just because Eleven originally died doesn’t mean she couldn’t have come back anyway. One of the many influences on Stranger Things is the 1980s run of Chris Claremont on The Uncanny X-Men, specifically the story of telekinetic Jean Grey. The psionic powerhouse shares more than a few similar traits to Eleven, chiefly her enormous psychic potential. Jean died many times in the pages of the comics, only to return.
Given the immense popularity of this particular ensemble, I can’t imagine Eleven will be going anywhere anytime soon, although who knows? Maybe the Duffers are saving Elle’s heroic self sacrifice for the end of the series now. Pun absolutely intended, but stranger things have happened.
What do you think about the first season’s original ending? Are you happy with what we got, or would you have preferred the more downbeat finale? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Images: Netflix
Jump into more Stranger Things with stories about season two!
- See the Stranger Things kids in a dance battle.
- Watch a chameleon birth that looks like Will spitting up a [spoiler].
- Season one recapped with minimalist animation.
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