Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who are now better known as The Duffer Brothers, have revealed that they would not be against bringing the Hawkins back in a couple of decades’ time, similar to how Stephen King’s novel It time-jumps the main characters into adulthood. Speaking with Vanity Fair, the Duffer Brothers revealed that a time jump was their initial plan for Stranger Things following the first season, with the creators saying that, should they continue beyond the upcoming fifth and (so far) final season, they would bring the likes of Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will back as grown-ups.

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Of course, these initial plans changed, and instead, Stranger Things has followed the gang from childhood into being teenagers. As well as making the surprising revelation that they never intended to remain in the era of the 1980s for the duration, the idea of returning to Stranger Things in a decade or so is sure to have fans excited that, even once season 5 has ended, we may not have seen the last of Hawkins and The Upside Down.

“It was going to be one season, and then we were going to do a time jump. We were really inspired by It. If we wanted to continue…we’d have some of the kids as adults with their own kids.”

At the moment, this is just an idea. Perhaps even less than an idea. Though the Duffer Brothers do see some potential in bringing the characters back after major life changes. “Matt’s a new father now. I’m sure we’re going to learn a lot of lessons along the way,” Ross said.

Ultimately, by simply mentioning an It-style comeback for Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers know they have backed themselves into a corner. “The problem with this interview is Netflix will pull this out in 20 years or whatever and say, “See …? You guys said you want to do this, right?” Matt Duffer said before adding, “All right… “I said ‘maybe!’ And that was 20 years ago! Relax!””

The work of Stephen King, and particularly It, has been a major influence on Stranger Things. Both the novel and cinematic adaptations begin with the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity. The story later picks up with the same group of kids 27 years later when the entity returns and, despite some misgivings from the Duffer Brothers, would surely be the perfect way for Stranger Things to come back one day.

Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1 is Available to Stream on Netflix Now

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Stranger Things Season 4 picks up around six months after the Battle of Starcourt. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends is separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces thanks to a secret Soviet laboratory under Starcourt, which seeks to open the gateway to the Upside Down, allowing the entities from the Upside Down to possess people in Hawkins.

Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, and Joe Keery, Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1 is available on Netflix now, with Part 2 due to be released on July 1, 2022.