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Stranger Things creators say the spinoff won't be about Holly Wheeler, and one Vecna detail is super important: "It is an entirely new mythology"

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By Mireia Mullor published 2 January 2026

The Netflix show will return... with a very different story

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Jamie Campbell Bower as Mr. Whatsit in Stranger Things season 5 volume 2, standing in the rain wearing a rimmed hat
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Stranger Things might be over, but the world created by the Duffer Brothers will continue in a spinoff series now in the works – however, don't expect any returning characters, as the creators are planning "an entirely new mythology".

Fans have theorized for weeks about who could be the focus of the new series, with the final episode providing two possible leads in Holly Wheeler's preteen gang (who are ready to get obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons at the Wheeler's basement), and Jim and Joyce's move to a new town, Montauk.

In a recent interview, though, Ross Duffer debunked all fan theories, and revealed the direction the spinoff will be taking. "I don't know if I want to, but I will say, though, it's not Hopper mentioning Montauk. There's no Montauk spinoff. That was more of a wink to the fans, deep-cut fans that know that the show started as Montauk. It's obviously not Holly and the kids or anything like that. It's something much smaller than that," Ross Duffer told Deadline.

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"We've said this before, the spinoff idea we have, it is early days, but it is an entirely new mythology. So, it is connected, and it is going to answer some questions that people have, and there's some lingering questions that weren't answered in the finale that will be answered in the spinoff. But at the end of the day, it's got its own story and its own mythology," he added.

Talking to Variety, Matt Duffer also teased one Vecna detail that will be super important moving forward – the rock in the briefcase he found in the caves as a child, which marked his origins as the show's villain.

"The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you're going to understand it. But it's a completely different mythology. So it's not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It's very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining," the showrunner said.

"It's very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology," he added, confirming that there won't be any "common characters" with the main show.

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While you wait for more news on the Stranger Things spinoff, check out our Stranger Things season 5 finale review or our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained, and see our lists for the best Netflix shows.

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Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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