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‘Stranger Things’ Spinoffs We Want to See: Steve, Dustin’s Sequel and More on September 27, 2023 at 7:37 pm Us Weekly

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Maya Hawke, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin. Courtesy of Netflix (2)

The Stranger Things universe is getting bigger and bigger — and Us Weekly is overflowing with suggestions for potential spinoff ideas.

Viewers have been compelled by the mysterious town of Hawkins, Indiana, since Stranger Things debuted in 2016. As the Netflix series continued to find success, the Upside Down and the supernatural entities that came with offered a glimpse at how Stranger Things could expand the story in the long run.

Creators Ross and Matt Duffer later confirmed that Stranger Things was technically not coming to an end — even though season 5 was going to be the show’s last.

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“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” an open letter from the executive producers stated in February 2022. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.”

Related: What the Cast of ‘Stranger Things’ Looks Like in Real Life

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Bringing a role to life. Stranger Things puts a lot of work into making viewers feel like they have been transported to a fictional town in Indiana during the ’80s — which includes transforming their actors into completely different people. The Netflix series, which debuted in 2016, centers around supernatural events that take place in […]

The duo continued: “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.”

Scroll on for some of the spinoff ideas we have for the Stranger Things universe:

Hopper and Joyce in High School

Courtesy of Netflix

We would never say no to more Hopper and Joyce content — especially if they are at the center of the show. In season 2, fans learned that the couple knew each other when they were in high school.

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Their chemistry continued to heat up our screens as Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) danced around their feelings for each other. Now that we know Hopper and Joyce are actually endgame, the possibilities for their prequel series are endless.

Related: Winona Ryder and David Harbour’s Sweetest Comments About Playing Love Interests …

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Onscreen lovers and offscreen besties! Since Stranger Things debuted in 2016, Winona Ryder and David Harbour have gushed about getting the chance to collaborate on Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper’s love story. The Netflix sci-fi series explored the fictional couple from two people caught up in their town’s supernatural events to best friends who finally […]

Steve and Robin’s Babysitting Adventures — With the Kids

Courtesy of Netflix

Stranger Things did an exceptional job with Steve’s (Joe Keery) arc because now no one can get enough of him. He went from Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) jealous athlete boyfriend to a hero that helped save the town (and the kids) time after time. So it’s only fair that the Duffer brothers keep the fun going by dedicating an entire series to Steve and his adventures.

Ideally, a Steve-centric show would include his friendship with Robin (Maya Hawke) and his bromance with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). But at this time we would settle for anything as long as we get to see Steve’s iconic hair — and trusty baseball bat.

The Main Group in a Different Decade

Courtesy Netflix

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The Netflix series has been set in the ’80s since it premiered. However, the younger actors have grown up fairly quickly so it is sometimes hard to believe that their characters are still meant to be in their teens.

A spinoff that ages the core group up allows the nostalgia to keep hitting across multiple decades. It also means the Stranger Things stars will get to play their actual ages.

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Related: Where Each ‘Stranger Things’ Couple Stands at the End of Season 4

Warning: This story contains spoilers about the plot of Stranger Things season 4. Finding love in a hopeless place? Season 4 of Stranger Things introduced Vecna as the worst villain to wreck havoc on Hawkins (yet) — but that doesn’t mean the characters didn’t make time for romance amid battle. During the first installment of […]

Nancy in Her Single Era

Courtesy of Netflix

Team Steve or Team Jonathan (Charlie Heaton)? How about Team Nancy?

Fans have mainly been focused on who Nancy will choose at the end of the series when the real question is where her story goes from here. Stranger Things has the unique opportunity to follow Nancy as she branches out of Hawkins and builds a life in another place (or multiple locations!) while focusing on her career.

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The Vecna Prequel

Tina Rowden/Netflix ; Courtesy of Netflix

Season 4 of Stranger Things not only raised the stakes — it also introduced Us to Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna. The villain was originally a young boy named Henry Creel who moved to Hawkins with his family. His interest in the supernatural eventually took Henry down a dark path and he ended up at Hawkins Lab under Dr. Brenner’s care. Henry tried to escape but that led to a battle with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) that banished him to what is now known as the Upside Down, where he went on to become Vecna.

The groundwork for Stranger Things‘ biggest bad was already laid out on the Netflix series so it only makes sense to really dig into Vecna’s history in a separate project.

Related: Jamie Campbell Bower’s Most Shocking Comments About Playing Vecna in ‘Stranger Things’

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Becoming one with Vecna. Jamie Campbell Bower has been candid about his Stranger Things journey — including the challenges that came with turning into the season 4 villain. After the first half of the season hit Netflix, Bower opened up about how little he knew during the audition process. “I first got two sets of […]

The Origins of Murray

Courtesy of Netflix

It doesn’t actually matter what Murray (Brett Gelman) does in his own show, as long as we get to see it. His introduction as Hopper’s eccentric friend quickly turned into Murray becoming a crucial character that helps Joyce and the others navigate the mystery at the center of Hawkins. But it is pretty obvious that Murray’s past is full of wild adventures just begging to be explored.

Eddie: The Early Years

Courtesy of Netflix

It is safe to say that no one expected Eddie (Joseph Quinn) to become such a fan-favorite when the character was introduced in season 4. But there’s nothing wrong with taking your opportunities when they come, which means investing in the high school student’s story.

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Eddie’s shocking death doesn’t leave a lot of room for scenes from the current timeline. However, a series could be crafted around Eddie’s time in high school and his Dungeons and Dragons endeavors.

The Stranger Things universe is getting bigger and bigger — and Us Weekly is overflowing with suggestions for potential spinoff ideas. Viewers have been compelled by the mysterious town of Hawkins, Indiana, since Stranger Things debuted in 2016. As the Netflix series continued to find success, the Upside Down and the supernatural entities that came 

​   Us Weekly Read More 

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What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

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50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

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3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

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South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

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A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

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Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

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Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

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The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


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