The final episode of Stranger Things has been released on Netflix, and fans are scouring it for hints about the upcoming spin-off. The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that a specific Easter egg provides a crucial clue to the new series.
Contrary to popular fan theories, there will be no spin-off focusing on Hopper and Joyce in Montauk. The Duffer Brothers clarified that the Montauk reference was merely a nod to the show's original title, which was changed from Montauk to Hawkins, Indiana, before the series premiered.
Instead, the key clue lies in Henry Creel's backstory. In the finale, Henry discovers a mysterious rock inside a scientist's briefcase, which grants him supernatural abilities and connects him to the Mind Flayer. This ties into the stage play The First Shadow, where Henry vanished in the desert and returned changed.
Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter: "There's lingering questions about the rock and where the rock came from... The spin-off is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that's the loose end that will be tied up." He added that the spin-off will have "an entirely new mythology" but will answer lingering questions from the main series.
Production on the spin-off is set to begin on 5 January. The Duffer Brothers expressed excitement about working with a clean slate, featuring new characters, a new town, and a new world. Additionally, an animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales from '85 is expected to be released around 2026.
