A Stranger Things prequel is officially on the way for those with a Netflix subscription, and it sounds like aliens are involved. That's my theory anyway, after some not-so-subtle hints from both the creators and the first look that suggest the truth about what happened in Hawkins is "out there."
Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure was added to Netflix's schedule for 2028, which means it will premiere roughly two years after the finale of Stranger Things, and it's coming from the Duffer Brothers and longtime ST writer Kate Trefry. Set in 1955 in Marion, Nevada, we don't have much to go on besides a clue to "watch the skies."
Are Aliens The Focus Of The New Stranger Things Series?
Aliens didn't play a role in the original Stranger Things, but they certainly seem to be involved in the prequel Other Worlds. First, there's the obvious clue of the title, followed by the first look, which gives a blink and you miss it shot of a UFO. Take a look at it below, right before it zaps out of frame:
How many times have we seen that shape and lighting in the best sci-fi movies? Plus, the series is set in Nevada, the site of Area 51? It feels so obvious.
If readers aren't convinced by this point, Matt and Ross Duffer dropped a not-so-subtle hint in their official comment on the series. While casting hasn't even started, we're getting another clue that the truth behind Stranger Things is somewhere out in space:
It’s Stranger Things, but also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains, and new … actually, we’re not allowed to say any more. Now, on to casting. In the meantime — watch the skies, nerds!
New heroes, villains, and I'm guessing new creatures! It's so in your face, it's hard to deny, but I also think it's intentional. I think the Stranger Things team is getting ahead of any ideas that we'll be heading back into the Upside Down, but that doesn't mean this new adventure is entirely disconnected.
How I Think Aliens Could Tie Into The Upside Down
I was thinking about how aliens could possibly factor into Stranger Things, especially when we know so much of the story behind how the Upside Down was created. Then, I remembered the final season and how Henry Creel's psychic abilities came from touching a strange rock in a suitcase.
Where did that rock come from? How did humans get ahold of it? I have a feeling Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Story will tell the story behind not just that, but the species and technology that set these events in motion. That's my theory, but obviously, I don't know anything about the plot.
What I do know is that it sounds like Other Worlds will be very disconnected from Stranger Things otherwise, with a different setting, different scenario, different characters, and different villains. However, one has to ask how it's connected to Stranger Things. Obviously, there has to be some way it's tied in, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this series that seems to involve aliens connects itself to the megahit that started it all.
Stranger Things, in the meantime, remains available to stream on Netflix. 2028 is still a ways out, but it'll be enough time for those who had problems with the finale to forget about that and get excited for more from the Duffer Brothers.
