Stranger Things creators give season 4 update and tease guest stars

(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer – better known as the Duffer Brothers – have opened up ever so slightly about season 4, including an update on filming and promising that more guest stars are on the way.

“Every time we go to a new season, we want it to have a different feel and a different tone,” Ross Duffer told Deadline.

Where season 1 felt very much attached to a darker, harder Goonies-style edge, season 2 brought in more sci-fi and Russian-centric conspiracies, and season 3 paid homage to the great summer blockbusters of the 1980s. While we don’t know what sphere season 4 will operate in yet, there is one unifying factor in each season: guest stars. It’s going to be the same again in Stranger Things season 4.

“We have some cool [guest stars]. A couple of cool ones this year,” Matt Duffer said. “It’s a really fun way to get to meet one of your icons, you know? Write a part for them and see if they want to do it… these are actors we grew up watching so it’s amazing and surreal.”

With the likes of Sean Astin, Cary Elwes, and Paul Reiser all rocking up to Hawkins after making their name in the ‘80s, who else will be following suit? The Duffers didn’t say, but the pointed reference to “icons” means we should probably be sifting through our VHS collections and picking through cult classics to see which actors could be in season 4.

Unfortunately, there might be a longer wait for season 4 than we’d like. “We did three weeks of shooting when we shut down, pretty much along with the entire industry,” Matt Duffer revealed.

For now, we’ll have to make do with the teasers and table reads that have been released so far. With the entertainment industry still in limbo, a 2020 release date looks night-on impossible. But, hey, Stranger Things have happened.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.