After weeks of viral theories, TikTok breakdowns, and heated debates over #ConformityGate, Netflix has finally pulled the curtain back on its next move in the Stranger Things universe. But instead of long-awaited footage from season 5, the streamer revealed something unexpected, the official teaser for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated spinoff that has quietly been in development for nearly 3 years.
For fans convinced a hidden ninth episode or secret finale was imminent, the announcement may feel like a curveball. For Netflix, however, it’s a clear signal that Hawkins still has life left in it .
What is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 about?
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 brings viewers back to Hawkins, Indiana, during the uneasy calm that follows season 2. Set in the winter of 1985, the story opens as snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down appear to have faded.
Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max are easing back into everyday life, D&D games, snowball fights, and tentative teenage relationships. But beneath the frozen surface, a new threat begins to emerge. Whether it’s tied to lingering Upside Down energy, secret experiments at Hawkins Lab, or something entirely unknown remains part of the mystery.
The series promises a standalone story that feels familiar, yet untethered from the strict rules of the live-action timeline.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 timeline explained
For continuity-minded fans, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 fits neatly between the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3. The Snow Ball dance has already happened, relationships are newly formed, and the Starcourt Mall era is still months away.
The Upside Down gate has been sealed, demodogs are gone, and Hawkins is enjoying a rare moment of peace. This placement gives the animated series room to explore a “quiet before the storm” phase, a period the live-action show largely skipped over.
Importantly, the kids are still in eighth grade. Hopper, for the record, is not.
Why Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 introduces new monsters
The teaser for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 features creatures unlike anything seen in the live-action series, including plant-like beasts and demogorgon-adjacent designs with a surreal edge.
The reason? The animated series operates in a flexible continuity space. According to showrunner Eric Robles, the monsters are still rooted in Upside Down biology, fused with experimental Hawkins Lab science. The DNA is familiar, but the mutations are new.
This approach allows the show to tell bigger, stranger stories without rewriting established canon, a creative strategy similar to classic animated spinoffs that expanded their worlds without breaking them.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 animation style and tone
While inspired by 1980s cartoons, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 uses modern computer animation rather than a retro hand-drawn style. Early concepts reportedly leaned lighter, but as the story darkened, including real stakes and potential character deaths, the creative team adjusted the look to match the tone.
The result is a series that feels nostalgic without being childish, leaning into suspense, horror, and emotional weight rather than Saturday-morning simplicity.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 voice cast details
None of the original live-action actors are returning to voice their characters in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. Instead, the series introduces a completely new voice cast, led by Jeremy Jordan as Steve “The Hair” Harrington.
New voices also step in for Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Max, and Hopper. The show also introduces a new character, Nikki Baxter, a pink-haired tinkerer who adds a fresh dynamic to the group.
Additional cast members include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips in undisclosed roles.
Is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 the Duffer Brothers’ spinoff?
No. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is not the live-action spinoff previously teased by the Duffer Brothers. That project is still in development and is expected to feature new characters in a new setting outside Hawkins.
This animated series exists as a parallel expansion, not a replacement for the main storyline, and not a continuation of season 5.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 release date on Netflix
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 premieres April 23 on Netflix. The episode count and runtime have not yet been revealed, and there’s no official confirmation about future seasons.
For now, the animated series offers fans a fresh way to revisit Hawkins: one that embraces nostalgia, experimentation, and the idea that even when the gate is closed, the story isn’t over yet.