The Stranger Things season 4 (opens in new tab) premiere title has been revealed by the show's writing team, and it's a big reference to the X-Men comic books.
The official writers Twitter account posted an image of the very first episode script for the new season, revealing the title to be "The Hellfire Club". Alongside the image, a message reads: "Looking for new members... are you in?"
looking for new members... are you in? pic.twitter.com/P1xAWNUPssNovember 7, 2019
The Hellfire Club are a group of villains who have faced off against the X-Men numerous times, including on the big screen in X-Men: First Class (opens in new tab). In that movie, the Hellfire Club is led by Sebastian Shaw, played by Kevin Bacon. Of course, the Stranger Things kids will not have seen that movie, but they will have read the comics.
The Hellfire Club, filled with wealthy and influential individuals looking to manipulate world events for their own benefit, debuted in the 1980 comic Uncanny X-Men #129. At one stage, Jean Grey, overtaken by Phoenix, joins the club.
Now, numerous commentators have drawn comparisons between Eleven and Jean Grey. Could the telepathic teenager be about to break bad? We should also take note of the writers' comments that they're "Looking for new members." We know that the Byers family are moving away from Hawkins – could the kids be forming a new club in a new city?
Whatever the case, we have a while to wait. Stranger Things season 4 looks set to start filming early next year, with a report indicating the new season will last eight episodes (opens in new tab).
Ensure you're on top of every upcoming series with our look at all the new TV shows (opens in new tab) coming your way over the next few years.
