Stranger Things S5 Might Take the Worst Page Out of Marvel's Book, S4 Clues Hint

The setup for the TV show’s worst decision ever seems more obvious by the day.

Immediately after its birth, Stranger Things became the main breadwinner in the Netflix household, but eight years later, it’s all grown up now and needs to change. With lead star Millie Bobby Brown willing to leave her breakthrough series behind, Stranger Things has to find a way to stay afloat after Season 5 without her… And whether to stay afloat at all. The upcoming series must set the show up for that.

Stranger Things S5 to Define the Show’s Future

It’s been two years since Stranger Things Season 4’s premiere, and Season 5 is still nowhere in sight. The iconic TV show is going through some rough time, and its lead star’s desire to leave after the next series makes the situation rather complicated: Season 5 has to either set up a spin-off or give the ultimate conclusion to the story.

Seeing how Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven has always been at the center of all Stranger Things that have been happening in the past eight years, the show will have to move on from her character either way. But if Netflix decides to milk the franchise despite that, they’ll need a well thought-through explanation for that, perhaps, even a lore one… And Season 4 might have just planted the seeds for that.

Stranger Things May Follow in the MCU ’s Footsteps

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In Season 4, Stranger Things put a blatantly disproportionate emphasis on the concept of time. The Creels’ grandfather clock with its ticking accompanying Vecna’s crimes; the Upside Down being stuck in the past; Evelen’s comment about time travel when she’s writing her letter to Mike Wheeler… It all points in one direction.

Even compared to Eleven, Vecna is powerful — too powerful to be defeated through ordinary means. Time travel could be the answer: we don’t know the true extent of Eleven’s powers, but if she could take her gang to defeat Creel in the past when he’s weaker, they could prevent him from achieving the overwhelming power he wields.

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This would in turn create an alternate timeline where Vecna never rose to such prominence, and consequent events were altered in turn… Giving Netflix a brand new playground set in the Stranger Things world where they could create new stories. But while a simple solution, we doubt many fans would be happy with it.