Top Ten Stranger Things Projects I Want to See Next

It's time for your suffering to end (or start? I don't know, I'm not as cool as Vecna)

With this show ending so soon, I feel like it's inevitable that we will see more stories set in this world. But what could those be? Stranger Things is probably the second-most popular TV show IP (the most popular being Game of Thrones), and it's got such a rich world and mythology that could make for some really interesting spin-offs and sequels. I'm not specifying whether I'd want these to be movies or shows, but they are just stories I'd want to see. So here are ten future Stranger Things projects that I want.

10. Hellfire

An exploration of Eddie Munson's childhood

Eddie Munson is one of the most beloved characters in Stranger Things, but we honestly don't really know that much about him. There are things hinted at with the fact that he was a senior in high school for three years and lives in a trailer park with his uncle, but it'd be really interesting to see an expanded prequel about his character. This would probably be best as a miniseries, because it'd be a big departure from the main tone and vibe of Stranger Things, but I think this could be really interesting. Since it'd explore Eddie's earlier life, maybe have it based on the cynicism and darkness of 70s movies and lead into the hopeful, brighter 80s that we know and love. Obviously it'd look a lot different because there'd be no Upside Down or Hawkins Lab or anything, but I would be all game to see an Eddie-centric prequel.

Dream Cast

Mason Thames as Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn might be too old at this point)

Walker Scobell as Jason Carver

Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Chrissy Cunningham

Matthew McConaughey as Wayne Munson

9. Return of the Upside Down

A sequel set in modern day

If this was announced, would I be skeptical? Of course. I don't know how a sequel would look and I'd be really, really nervous, but also...I would be super, super excited. If they got the right adult cast, this would be really interesting. There would need to be an actual story to tell before I got truly excited about a sequel, but I would have hope if the Duffers were attached and they gave a good reason to bring the Upside Down back. I don't know how I'd feel. But there would be some level of automatic excitement and curiosity that would come with it. I'm only going to dream cast the younger cast, because I don't know if we'd see Joyce and Hopper in a sequel.

Dream Cast

Emily Blunt as Eleven

Tom Hiddleston as Mike Wheeler

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lucas Sinclair

Josh Gad as Dustin Henderson

Jonathan Groff as Will Byers

Molly Ringwald as Nancy Wheeler

Chris Pine as Steve Harrington

Uma Thurman as Robin Buckley

Adam Driver as Jonathan Byers

8. 008

The adventures of Kali

I don't actually know if this is something I'd want to see explored, but it could be interesting. Kali Prasad is one of the strangest parts of this entire show. She was the first glimpse at a bigger world of Stranger Things and showed us that there are more super-powered kids besides Eleven. Her character wasn't particularly compelling and The Lost Sister arc is universally disliked, but they have a chance to remedy that by giving Kali a truly good arc and making her character a bit more nuanced and likable.

Dream Cast

Linnea Berthelsen as Kali Prasad / 008

Matthew Modine as Martin Brenner

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna

7. Dimension X

The true origins of the Upside Down

Look, this is probably a story we're going to get within season five, but I think a show focused almost entirely on the Upside Down could be really interesting. Maybe it's a show set in the 50s and is meant to feel like one of the old sci-fi horror films from that era. Follow a scientist or a politician who discovers the terrors of the Upside Down and explores its origins. This could make for some really interesting backstory that elevates Stranger Things and gives us a clearer picture of the terrifying dimension.

Dream Cast

Willem Dafoe as Dr. Harvey (Mad Scientist)

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Jim Hopper

Dan Stevens as Martin Brenner

6. Darkness on the Edge of Town

A loosely-based adaptation of Hopper's solo novel

If you don't know, there's a ton of Stranger Things spin-off novels, and one of them is a Hopper-centric story about his time as a big city cop before the events of the show. We see him while Sarah is still alive and while he's still married. There'd be a sense of hope but also tragedy, because you know where Hop starts Stranger Things at, meaning his prequel wouldn't have a very happy ending. I think it'd be fun to see him in a very different environment. A big-time New York cop with a family busting drug gangs would be awesome if it was starring this guy.

Dream Cast

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Jim Hopper

Lily James as Diane Hopper

Mahershala Ali as Saint John

5. The First Shadow

A true adaptation of the popular stage play

The First Shadow is the smash-hit Broadway play that is basically the quintessential Stranger Things prequel. Vecna stars as the main protagonist, but Hopper, Joyce, Bob, and lots of other beloved characters make an appearance. It shows a more expanded version of Vecna's backstory and the true nature of his connection to the Mind Flayer. We see his descent into madness and end with him meeting Eleven for the first time. People love The First Shadow, and I would love to see a true adaptation of it (maybe even in movie form).

Dream Cast

Drew Starkey as Jim Hopper

Kaitlyn Maher as Joyce Byers

Noah Jupe as Bob Newby

Fionn Whitehead as Henry Creel / Vecna

Dan Stevens as Martin Brenner

Mackenzie Foy as Patty Newby

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Victor Creel

Sam Rockwell as Alan Munson

Reese Witherspoon as Virginia Creel

4. The Red Gate

A prequel that explains the Russians' involvement in the show

I think the Russians are probably one of the weaker aspects of the show. I still enjoy most of the plot lines in which they are involved, but I don't fully get how they are involved. That can be remedied by showing us the secrets behind the Russian scientists and how they got into the Upside Down. We could check in on all of our characters: Alexei, Enzo, Yuri...all of them would be in here. Give us a political conspiracy thriller in the world of Stranger Things. This could really be awesome and do something different with the Upside Down that would feel nothing like the main show.

Dream Cast

Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov

Alec Utgoff as Alexei

Andrey Ivchenko as Grigori

Nikola Djuricko as Yuri Ismaylov

Vaidotas Martinaitis as Warden Melnikov

3. The Hair

A sequel focused entirely on Steve Harrington

If there is any real sequel that I want (and what I think everyone kind of wants) is one focused entirely on Steve Harrington. Sure, Hopper and Eleven are maybe (slightly) more compelling and nuanced, but Steve is the most universally beloved character in the show. Joe Keery is just so incredible and fun in this role, and I'd love to see him carry his own show. I don't know what the story would be. I don't know if we'd do more of the Upside Down. But if there is any character that I want to see more of after Stranger Things is over, it is absolutely Steve "The Hair" Harrington.

Dream Cast

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington

Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley

Christopher McDonald as Mr. Harrington

Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler

2. Suspicious Minds

A prequel focused on Brenner and Hawkins Lab

I know this has maybe been mentioned in some of these ideas (especially The First Shadow and Dimension X), but Hawkins Lab has such a rich and interesting history that could be explored as this mysterious conspiracy thriller. Give us Brenner as the villainous protagonist and show the origins of his relationship with Vecna or Owens or even Terry Ives. Show us what drove him to become this mad scientist that we see him as in Stranger Things. Give us a glimpse at MK-Ultra and the suspicious things he's covered up. Suspicious Minds is another one of the official Stranger Things companion novels, and, although this wouldn't be a direct adaptation of that story, use it to give us a look at the madness of Brenner and how manipulative and evil he was. Maybe you end with the birth of Eleven to lead us beautifully into where Stranger Things would hypothetically start.

Dream Cast

Dan Stevens as Martin Brenner

Rose Byrne as Terry Ives

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Becky Ives

Fionn Whitehead as Henry Creel / Vecna

1. Terrors of the Upside Down

The anthology that Stranger Things was originally supposed to be

When Stranger Things was first created, the Duffers envisioned it as an anthology series that followed different stories involving the Upside Down each season. Season one was the disappearance of Will. I have zero clue what season two would've been, but I think this would've made for a really interesting idea. Of course, I'm super happy that that wasn't what the show turned out to be, but I wouldn't mind if we still got that in the future. If the ending of the show leaves the door open for more stories with the Upside Down, I'd love to see these one-season arcs like a True Detective or American Horror Story that show us a different group of people fighting these monsters. It may be tough to pull off if the Upside Down is destroyed at the end of the show, but if it's not, maybe we see this in the future.

Also, I'm not dream casting for this because if it were an anthology, we wouldn't see any characters that we know.