Netflix has halted production on new season wouldn't debut until early 2021, but that could be pushed even further with the ongoing delays.
the bulk of the filming hasn't even commenced. Though the delay was initially thought to be short, that no longer seems to be the case.
It's unclear how much time will have ed in the Stranger Things timeline when the action picks back up in season 4. Following the previous patterns, season 4 will be set sometime in 1986, well after Joyce Byers relocated her family and Eleven out of Hawkins. However, this timeline is far different than what the Duffers originally imagined when developing Stranger Things. During the early stages, the story was supposed to feature a time jump to the 1990s beginning with season 2. There was even talk of introducing a new decade with each season to bring the narrative to modern-day. Though that idea is now unlikely, the recent delays give Stranger Things even more reason to jump to the '90s.
Why Jumping To The '90s Makes Sense For Stranger Things
When Stranger Things first launched, the core young characters were meant to be around 12 years old in late 1983. There's hope that series will reach a minimum of five seasons, and with the recent timeframe, Stranger Things will hit that mark in 2023. That would mean a filming span of over eight years and it's no secret that the young cast is racing through puberty. Many of the actors are already portraying characters a few years younger than their TV counterparts, and they will soon be in their late teens and twenties while playing awkward kids supposedly reaching 15 or 16 years old.
The delay in production just means more age-related problems for the key characters, but pushing to the '90s for season 4 and beyond would make perfect sense for the narrative. Not only would it solve any maturation issues, but it would also give the series a chance to look at how the tragic events had long-term effects on those who encountered the threats within the Upside Down. It would be interesting to flash forward a few years after Joyce moved the kids out of Hawkins while Hopper was stuck as a prisoner in Russia. Facing the Upside Down and other threats surrounding its existence are not easy challenges and it's plausible to believe the struggles could last many years.
There's also a chance that the ongoing delays force the Duffers to take another look at their plan and make a few adjustments. Nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to scripts or filming plans. Maybe a few plot directions didn't have time to develop properly but in this state of limbo, something new can come to fruition. At least Stranger Things fans can rest easy knowing that another installment is on the way, it's just a matter of when.