Stranger Things actor weighs in on theory Dr. Brenner is still alive
If you’re an avid fan of Stranger Things like me, I bet you’re itching to see what happens in season 4. The finale of season 3 left viewers on quite a cliffhanger and we’re not certain what will happen to our favorite characters next. However, there is one character whose fate has been a mystery since season 1: Dr. Brenner.
Viewers will recall that Dr. Brenner, played by actor Matthew Modine, seemingly dies in season 1 after being attacked by the Demogorgon. This occurs in the season finale, titled “Chapter Eight: The Upside Down.” While Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) head to Hawkins Lab to save Will (Noah Schnapp), Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Johnathan (Charlie Heaton) decide to set a trap for the Demogorgon, leaving Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) alone at the middle school.
In order to convince Dr. Brenner to allow them into the Upside Down, Hopper reveals Eleven’s location as leverage. After being cornered by the bad guys, Eleven uses her powers to fry their brains. Unfortunately, all of that blood attracts the Demogorgon, who proceeds to go on a killing spree. Dr. Brenner is knocked to the ground by the monster and the character has not appeared in the flesh since.
I have to admit, I haven’t thought about Dr. Brenner much since season 1 of Stranger Things. The characters have had bigger fish to fry in recent seasons, like Will being possessed by the Mind Flayer and the shadowy creature’s subsequent arrival in our dimension. Evidently, it seems that we shouldn’t dismiss Dr. Brenner so easily. As reported by RadioTimes, Matthew Modine thinks that the mysterious doctor is still alive somewhere.
Here is what Modine told NME about Dr. Brenner’s apparent demise:
"I love that the fans are trying to figure out where Dr. Brenner is because we’re all wondering, you know, is he in the Upside Down? Did the Demogorgon drag him away? Is he going to re-emerge? And the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, have said that unless you see a body, the character’s not dead. And obviously, we never saw Dr. Brenner’s body."
There you have it, folks. There’s no word on whether or not Matthew Modine will appear in season 4, but you never know. It would be interesting to see what Dr. Brenner has been up to recently!