Stranger Things Season 3: Cast, Plot, Theories and More

In the ending of Stranger Things season 2, Eleven reunites with her friends and she uses all her power to close the gate to the Upside Down. A month later, she attends the school’s winter dance and Hopper gets a birth certificate which acknowledges Eleven as his daughter. It’s all over, the kids are safe and everyone’s happy knowing full well the danger is gone. Or is it? The final scene in the episode left viewers with a cliffhanger. The Upside Down still exists and even worse, the shadow monster is still alive. So what happens next in Stranger Things Season 3? What conspiracies is the group going to uncover? What evils will they face? What new foe will have to be vanquished? Let’s get into it.

Stranger Things Season 3: What Does The Trailer Say?

“You let us in. And now, you are going to let us stay.

We’re going to end you, we’re going to end your friends 

and then, we’re going to end everyone.”

If there is one thing the trailers released so far have shown us, its that season 3 will not pull punches. It is going to be darker, scarier, with higher stakes and even worse consequences than both previous seasons combined. The almost three-minute clip trailer ends with most of the crew hiding from an unseen monster.

In the trailer, Will and Eleven have a conversation about the Mind Flayer. An old foe they thought had been defeated. Will suggests “What if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?”

In addition to the eerie and super hyped trailer, Netflix released a blurb that reads:

“It’s 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer’s heating up. School’s out, there’s a brand new mall in town, and the Hawkins crew are on the cusp of adulthood. Romance blossoms and complicates the group’s dynamic, and they’ll have to figure out how to grow up without growing apart. Meanwhile, danger looms. When the town’s threatened by enemies old and new, Eleven and her friends are reminded that evil never ends; it evolves. Now they’ll have to band together to survive, and remember that friendship is always stronger than fear.”

From that alone, it is safe to assume that not only will the kids be fighting against old foes, but new ones will also come to the fore. One thing is for certain, they have their hands full and there will be no room for error. 

Episode Titles For Stranger Things Season 3

“Suzie, Do You Copy?”

“The Mall Rats”

“The Case of the Missing Lifeguard”

“The Sauna Test”

“The Source”

“The Birthday”

“The Bite”

“The Battle of Starcourt”

Theories For Stranger Things Season 3

The creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed that there will be a time jump between season 2 and season 3. This means audiences will see more evolved characters and big differences in the story the kids have to tell. Ross Duffer also mentioned the tone of season 3 describing it as both the most fun yet the grossest season. Ross went on to add that the third season would be the final summer of the group’s childhood.

In addition to this, season 3 may feature the mythology of the Upside Down. How it came about, its lore and much more. With regards to the characters, the creators have hinted at a possible backstory for fan favorite, Hopper. 

With regards to the trailer and the possible reintroduction of the Mind Flayer, who is going to be its new host? Dacre Montgomery who plays Billy spoke to The Wrap about whether he could be the next host. “That’s really interesting — I don’t know. I’m excited to see where it goes”. 

Millie Bobby Brown though wants a dark ending for her character, Eleven. “I want to have her really sacrifice her powers. If Eleven loses her powers, is she as powerful just as a character? I think that would be very cool,” the actress said to Digital Spy.

Stranger Things Season 3 Cast and Release Date

Stranger Things season 3 will have more of the same cast members from previous seasons as well as new ones. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Max (Sadie Sink), Joyce (Winona Ryder), Hopper (David Harbour), Karen (Cara Buono), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery), and bad boy Billy (Dacre Montgomery) will return. 

Stranger Things season 3 returns to Netflix on July 4th.