Stranger Things will end on Netflix later this year (in 3 parts), but it won't be the true end of the franchise. Several Stranger Things spin-offs are in development right now, and one of them was recently spotlighted at the Annecy Animation Festival. Titled Stranger Things: Tales From '85, the animated series is overseen by original series creators, the Duffer Brothers, with animation completed by Flying Bark Productions.
During the Annecy presentation, Netflix confirmed several details about the new animated Stranger Things series, including that it will take place in Hawkins "in the stark winter of 1985." The synopsis also confirmed that "the original characters" would be back fighting "new monsters" and unravelling a "paranormal mystery." The Hawkins 1985 setting places Stranger Things: Tales From '85 in the six-month gap between Seasons 2 and 3 of the flagship series. This places the original characters at an interesting time in their lives, which the animated series has the chance to explore.
But which characters will return in Stranger Things: Tales From '85? A report from Collider confirms several Stranger Things characters who were sighted in the new concept art and test footage (although no cast members were attached).
These Original Stranger Things Characters Will Return in Tales From '85
Eleven
The superpowered star of the show, Eleven's telekinetic abilities and her mysterious connection to the Upside Down make her an essential piece of the supernatural puzzle in Stranger Things.
Around the 1985 mark, Eleven had just begun her relationship with Mike Wheeler and started to experience tension with her foster father, Jim Hopper, as she adapted to the normal life of a teenager.
Mike Wheeler
The party leader, Mike Wheeler, is one of the four core boys in Stranger Things. Between the events of Seasons 2 and 3, he strikes up a relationship with Eleven, which receives disdain from Hopper. Mike also causes a rift with Will as he loses interest in their childhood hobbies.
Will Byers
The disappearance of Will Byers kickstarts the mystery in Stranger Things Season 1. After being rescued from the Upside Down and Mind Flayer, Will can return to his everyday teenage life in Season 3, although that's not exactly what happens. Like Eleven, Will maintains a strange connection to the Upside Down after his ordeal and struggles to shake it.
Dustin Henderson
During Season 2 of Stranger Things, Dustin formed an attachment to a young Demodog, which he eventually had to put down. In its place, he becomes friends with the older and much cooler Steve Harrington, which will likely be a key relationship explored in Stranger Things: The Tales of '85.
Lucas Sinclair
Lucas Sinclair rounds out the core group of boys, and no Stranger Things series would be complete without him. After courting the new girl, Max, in Season 2 of Stranger Things, Lucas and Max begin dating in Season 3, meaning more of the origins of their relationship may be explored in the new animated series.
Max Mayfield
After being introduced in Season 2, Max became a fan favorite character in Stranger Things. During the gap between Seasons 2 and 3, Max will likely be dealing with tension with her brother, Billy, whom she threatened to leave their group alone, and the beginnings of her relationship with Lucas. She also has a friendship with Eleven in Season 3 of Stranger Things that could be built upon more in Tales From '85.
Jim Hopper
The only confirmed adult character for Stranger Things: Tales of '85 is Jim Hopper, the Hawkins Police Chief and Eleven's foster father. While learning to be a father again, the break between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things also gives Hopper time to develop his feelings for Joyce Byers, which could be an interesting point that the animated series digs into.
While no other characters beyond these seven were confirmed during the Stranger Things: Tales From '85 presentation, it's likely that others will be revealed closer to release. A Stranger Things story wouldn't be right without the inclusion of Joyce, Steve, Nancy, or Jonathan, so it's likely that at least these four will be added to the story at some point.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 doesn't have a release window yet, but will be one of several Stranger Things titles to continue the story after the main show ends.
