Stranger Things teaser hints at stage show being linked to season 5

A new teaser for the Stranger Things stage play may "hold the key" to the fifth and final season.

The teaser, shared by the official Stranger Things Twitter account, contains a montage of clips from seasons 1-4 displayed on a vintage television. At the end of the teaser, text appears that says, "The beginning of the Stranger Things story might hold the key to what comes next."

Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes place in Hawkins, Indiana circa 1959, and delves into the backstories of Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado, Bob Newby (RIP), and Henry Creel.

Though we do learn of Henry Creel aka Vecna's origin story in season 4, our hunch is that the play will reveal something new about the show's big bad – whether it be something linked to him and Eleven's powers, or something that implies that Stranger Things season 5 will lead to the end of Hawkins as we know it.

The new play is based on an original story by creators and showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer, as well as Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry. Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry will direct. The cast has yet to be revealed, though we do know some new characters will be added to the mix: a casting call was put out earlier this year for George Smith, a "moody and pale outcast, and Betty Olsen, a "preacher's daughter and 'goody-two-shoes.'"

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set to run at the Phoenix Theatre in London from November 17, 2023 through August 25, 2024. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.