5 theories about Stranger Things 4 based on the renewal announcement
By Madison Sago
The recent official announcement of Stranger Things 4 raised more questions than answers, and fans are beginning to form theories about what we could see and where we could go in season 4.
After a series of mysterious pictures, tweets, and Instagram posts, Stranger Things fans were surprised with a cryptic video announcing the show’s renewal for season 4. There had already been theories circulating the internet about the new season and the renewal announcement definitely makes me think there’s a much more at stake now for our favorite characters.
We don’t really have much information about the exact plot of Stranger Things 4 yet. After the shocking season 3 finale and its post-credit scene, we were all wondering one big thing: Is Hopper still out there?
David Harbour has been quietly making posts with specific captions on Instagram while updating his profile picture, suggesting some clues about what could have happened to Hopper and what we could possibly expect heading into season 4. This led to further theories about Eleven, Joyce and Murray, and even El’s mama Terry Ives.
That being said, one thing is clear: We’re definitely heading out of Hawkins for this season, and it looks like the pressure is building and growing with the Upside Down. In an article from Entertainment Weekly, one of the creators, Matt Duffer, even said:
"“I think the biggest thing that’s going to happen is it’s going to open up a little bit, not necessarily in terms of scale, in terms of special effects, but open up in terms of allowing plotlines into areas outside of Hawkins.”"
Before we jump into theories about Stranger Things 4, check out the official announcement below!
1. Hopper is stuck in the Upside Down
I think this is a theory that most fans believe, and there’s lots of evidence to support it! Going back to the theories about how Hopper could have survived the explosion at the end of season 3, one major point is that we never saw Hopper’s body after the blast. We did clearly see the Russian scientists basically get disintegrated by the machine’s destruction, but not Hopper.
The video features a small flashlight-like beam of light coming from the trees behind the logo. It stays on for most of the video before flickering and cutting out at the end. This could totally support the idea that Hopper is stuck in there! He’d need his flashlight to be able to see his way through the Upside Down. What if he shut it off quickly because there are still creatures lurking in there?