Stranger Things Season 5 is a 'Possibility'

The Duffer brothers’ hit Netflix series Stranger Things could have more seasons than previously teased, potentially lasting into season 5. The sci-fi horror series debuted last year on Netflix and was quickly renewed for a second season thanks to the positive reception it got from both critics and viewers.

Stranger Things introduced a world of creatures, experiments, and unexplored dimensions that could easily go on for various seasons, if its creators wanted it to. The Duffer brothers have previously stated that they plan on doing only four seasons and then getting out – an understandable move that at the same time left a lot of fans of the series a bit worried. Now, the Duffers and executive producer Shawn Levy share there’s a possibility for the series to stay a bit longer than originally planned.

Related: Stranger Things Season 2 Images

In an interview with EW, Shawn Levy shares that fans were not the only ones concerned when the Duffers talked about a four-season run, and there’s a good chance the show will go past that, though not by much.

“Hearts were heard breaking in Netflix headquarters when the Brothers made four seasons sound like an official end, and I was suddenly getting phone calls from our actors’ agents. The truth is we’re definitely going four seasons and there’s very much the possibility of a fifth. Beyond that, it becomes I think very unlikely.”

Stranger Things has been praised by both critics and audiences thanks to its dark theme and 1980s setting, as well as the performances of the whole cast, making the first season a heartbreaking, exciting, and at times scary ride. It’s understandable, then, that the Duffers don’t want to the show overstay its welcome and credibility. Ross Duffer shared:

“It’s not wrapped up this season. I think [season 2] will be a satisfying end but there's still danger out there. There’s too much to deal with in one more season. If we’re able to, there will be at least four, there could be more. I think there’s going to come a point where why aren’t these people leaving Hawkins? Like we’re going to stretch credibility. It wasn’t intended to be a seven-season thing.”

Matt Duffer added that the series is “not built to sustain that as a narrative,” and giving it an end date right now is nonsense. He also adds that Netflix has been “very ive,” and that at a meeting after the success of the first series they agreed on not wanting it to go on “that long.”

Season 2 will take place around Halloween of 1984 – about a year after the events of season 1. It will deal with the aftermath of Will’s comeback from the Upside Down and how this has affected not only him but those around him as well. This season will also explore Chief Hopper’s (David Harbour) tragic past, though not in a literal fashion.

While the Stranger Things’ mythology has a lot of material for many future seasons, the Duffers’ decision to not go on for long is a wise one, as they won’t want to lose the series’ fanbase and the interest of critics and viewers. As seen with many long-running sci-fi series, it comes a point where fans lose interest in the series and the quality of the narrative decreases. Placing creative quality over ratings is a good move from the Duffers and company, even if that means only four (possibly five) seasons of Stranger Things.