First look at Stranger Things 4 reunites some old friends

By Blair Marnell March 24, 2022

Netflix has made us wait almost three years for a new season of Stranger Things. Granted, there were some extenuating circumstances due to the pandemic, but the young actors are growing up fast, especially considering Stranger Things 4 is set only six months after the conclusion of season 3. The young casts’ collective growth spurt is all-too-obvious in the newest round of pictures from Stranger Things 4. There may also be a few clues about this season’s storylines.

The first picture checks in with the former sheriff of Hawkins, Jim Hopper (David Harbour). Hopper went missing at the end of season 3, and he was presumed dead by his friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, Hopper is actually trapped in Russia and far out of the reach of even Eleven’s power.

Related Videos

David Harbour in Stranger Things 4.

But in the second image, it sure looks like Hopper’s closest friends, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), might be trying to track him down.

Winona Ryder and Brett Gelman in Stranger Things 4.

There’s an intriguing pairing in the third pic: Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) and Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dryer). They didn’t really hang out much last season. And it’s also quite noticeable that these young women are trying to appear older during a prison visit. Note that Nancy’s name tag doesn’t say her real name.

Maya Hawke and Natalia Dyer in Stranger Things 4.

It’s a little harder to work out story hints from the rest of the pics, but we do see that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is back in town and reuniting with the rest of gang: Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink).

Eleven's back in Stranger Things 4.

As in previous seasons, it appears that the gang’s storyline will once again cross over with whatever is happening with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Nancy, Robin, and their new friend, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn).

The kids are alright in Stranger Things 4.

Additionally, season 3’s scene stealer, Priah Ferguson, appears to have a much bigger role as Lucas’ sister, Erica Sinclair.

Stranger Things 4 Part 1 will premiere on Netflix on May 27. Part 2 will follow on July 1.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Entertainment

Stranger Things 4 preview brings back a face from the past

Matthew Modine in Stranger Things 4.

After a nearly three-year wait, Stranger Things 4 is just a week away. But before the new season officially gets underway, Netflix has released the first eight minutes of the new season, and they aren't for the faint of heart!

In this flashback to 1979, we're reintroduced to Matthew Modine's Dr. Martin Brenner, the man who made Eleven into a superhuman girl. We've known for a long time that Eleven wasn't the only child who was experimented on over the years. However, we've never seen one of those experiments take such a dark turn as we do in this clip for both the kids and the scientists who work with them. In fact, this might be our first real glimpse of this year's big bad villain, back when they were something closer to human.

Entertainment

Stranger Things 4 trailer teases dark times on the horizon

The cast of Stranger Things 4.

Are you familiar with the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and its connection to the Upside Down? The new Stranger Things 4 trailer has arrived, and it's proving just how little we've truly learned in the first three seasons. The one thing we do know is that the evil from the Upside Down is not some abstract being. It has a voice, and it has a plan. And for the first time, we truly get to see what it looks like in an almost human form.

There's not a lot in the trailer that sheds light on specific plot points. But we do see Eleven approached by the same organization that once gave her powers. And the man has a warning that Eleven can't ignore. Humanity can't prevail against the Upside Down without her, and she doesn't have any powers left. Meanwhile in Hawkins, Max's graveside visit to her brother is both confession and revelation. But is Max being attacked by something, or has she come into her own powers?

Entertainment

With The Adam Project, Shawn Levy steps into the spotlight

Shawn Levy directing Ryan Reynolds on the set of The Adam Project

A few years ago, Shawn Levy would not have been a recognizable name to most moviegoers, but that's not necessarily the case anymore. Coming off one of his biggest successes to date with 2021's Free Guy, Levy has returned with The Adam Project, another family-friendly, crowd-pleasing genre flick in the same vein as several of his previous films.

On Netflix, The Adam Project successfully captured the streaming service’s No. 1 spot in its opening weekend, and it currently boasts a sturdy 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. All signs suggest that The Adam Project is yet another winning directorial outing for Levy, a director and producer whose filmography is becoming steadily more prolific and impressive with every passing year.