It’s almost here!
That’s right. Stranger Things Season 4 is right around the corner as part of the 2022 TV schedule, and I am so excited. While there are plenty of things to remember before Season 4, and all the major deaths that we have to anticipate, it’s sometimes hard to remember that it’s been three years since 2019, when Season 3 came out. And, the cast members of this show have been doing a lot.
For fans of the Stranger Things cast, here is what they've all been up to in between Seasons 3 and 4. So, maybe you’ll be able to find something new to watch then in now.
Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers)
Starting off strong, let’s take a look at Joyce Byers, the loving matriarch of Stranger Things that we all fell in love with during Season 1, played by the wonderful Winona Ryder. This actress has been in plenty of movies and TV shows in the past, and in the last three years, that hasn’t changed a bit.
Ryder recently made an appearance in the thriller, The Cow, and also had a main role in The Plot Against America, as well as the television special, Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine. But, it won’t be long before we see her as Joyce Byers again on the small screen.
David Harbour (Jim Hopper)
While we may all know David Harbour as Jim Hopper, the slightly gruff sheriff who became a father to Eleven and ended up “sacrificing” himself at the end of Season 3 of Stranger Things, Harbour has been very active these last few years.
His biggest role thus far was being a part of the Black Widow cast, where he played Alexei. Some of his other big roles over the last three years was playing the titular character of Hellboy, a role in Extraction, and a part in No Sudden Move. He’s also guest-starred on many television shows, like The Simpsons, Q-Force, Big City Greens, and more.
Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler)
You want to talk about a young man who’s been making a name for himself? Look no further than Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things. Over the last several years, Wolfhard appeared in several movies, such as reprising his role in IT: Chapter 2, had a huge part in the Ghostbusters: Afterlife cast, appeared in the movie, The Goldfinch, had another starring role in The Turning, and many others.
He also had a main role on the Netflix reboot of Carmen Sandiego, and guest starred on many TV shows such as Smiling Friends, Home Movie: The Princess Bride, and more.
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven / Jane Hopper)
Arguably one of the most known names from Stranger Things is Millie Bobby Brown, who blew up after her starring role as Eleven - later known as Jane Hopper. Millie Bobby Brown has consistently proven herself a valuable actress, and has appeared in a couple of movies.
Her biggest role was starring in Enola Holmes as the titular character, a role which she will reprise in the upcoming sequel. She also had a role in the big-time monster movie, Godzilla Vs. Kong, and had a guest spot on Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.
Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson)
I think everyone else has collectively decided that we all love Dustin Henderson on Stranger Things, and he could only be played by the wonderful Gaten Matarazzo. While this young actor hasn’t been in any movies since Stranger Things Season 3 came out in 2019, he’s been very active in television.
He guest-starred on the show, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered, and hosts his very own prank show on Netflix called Prank Encounters, and with that charming personality, it’s not surprising that he’s won the hearts of viewers through his hosting skills.
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair)
Moving on, now we have Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things, and he’s been quite active in both movies and TV during these three years. He appeared in two films, the sports drama High Flying Bird, and the urban western, Concrete Cowboy. He also voiced Ghost in the animated series, Summer Camp Island.
Most recently, McLaughlin had a guest spot on The Boys Presents: Diabolical, an animated spinoff of the Amazon Prime original series, The Boys, so McLaughlin hasn’t strayed too far from television.
Noah Schnapp (Will Byers)
Will was the boy we were all looking for in Stranger Things Season 1, but now it seems that he and Eleven are going to be spending plenty of time together in California in Stranger Things Season 4, where he will continue to be played by Noah Schnapp.
Schnapp has appeared in a few movies over the last few years, including the films Abe, Waiting for Anya, and the Netflix Adam Sandler original, Hubie Halloween. Schnapp also appeared in a guest spot on the YouTube Red comedy series, Liza on Demand.
Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield)
Sadie Sink is a name that I’m sure you have heard a lot over the several months. 2021 was really her year, because not only did she have a pretty big role in the popular Netflix horror trilogy, Fear Street, she also had a starring role in Taylor Swift’s short film, All Too Well, based on the song that Swift wrote long ago for her album, Red. She also appeared in the movie, Eli.
Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler)
Nancy Wheeler was one of those characters where, at first, you wanted to not like her because of how she abandoned Barb in Stranger Things Season 1, but now, after some time has passed, you can’t help but admire her persistence to want to do good and her lowkey badassery. And, she's still played by Natalia Dyer. This young actress has been putting in work over the last couple of years, appearing in a variety of movies.
She appeared in the films, Yes, God, Yes, Velvet Buzzsaw, After Darkness, Tuscaloosa, United States vs. Reality Winner, and Things Heard & Seen. She also had a guest role on the TV series, Acting for a Cause, where she guest-starred on the episode, “Jane Eyre,” playing the titular character.
Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers)
Another character that I genuinely liked since the beginning of Stranger Things was Jonathan Byers, the strange yet sweet older brother of Will who would do anything to keep his family safe, and who ends up being Nancy’s boyfriend in Season 2. Jonathan is played by Charlie Heaton, who has appeared in plenty of movies and TV shows over the last few years
In terms of film, he played a part in the movie, No Future, and was a part of The New Mutants cast. He also played Jim Dagger in The Souvenir: Part II. Heaton also had a guest role on the series, Soulmates, where he appeared on the episode, “Break On Through” as Kurt.
Joe Keery (Steve Harrington)
Oh, Joe Keery. The person that I have truly fallen for over these last couple of years, because he is just so dang funny. To fans of Stranger Things, you know Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, the character that started off as someone that we all sort of collectively didn’t like, but over the last several seasons, he’s proven just how much of a nice guy he is - and a lowkey mentor to all of the children we know and love on the sci-fi hit.
Steve has some amazing moments and they could only be performed by Keery. I can’t picture anyone else pulling it off. Well, maybe Ryan Reynolds - whom he does co-star with in Free Guy - but that’s besides the point.
Anyway, Keery has been in a couple of movies and TV shows, which include being a part of the Free Guy cast, as mentioned earlier, as well as appearing in the film, Spree as Kurt Kunkle. Keery also has a recurring role as Officer Ed Reinhardt in No Activity, and had a special role in two television specials on Netflix, Death to 2020 and Death to 2021, where he played Duke Goolies. You just gotta love him.
Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley)
Last but not least, we have Maya Hawke. While she only joined Stranger Things in Season 3, her character, Robin Buckley, left an impression on audiences and quickly became a fan-favorite, and also gave us some adorable friendship moments between her and Steve, who are basically besties now. Hawke has been very active these last several years, appearing in a variety of movies and TV shows.
She appeared in the films Human Capital, Mainstream, and Italian Studies, and even was in Fear Street: Part One: 1994. Hawke has also stepped into the TV world a bit more, appearing in the miniseries, The Good Lord Bird, where she played Annie Brown.
With Stranger Things Season 4 around the corner, one can only wonder what these amazing cast members are going to do next. Are they going to end up joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Will we see more sci-fi from them after Stranger Things comes to a close? Only time will tell. But, you can bet that no matter what, I’ll be there watching from the sidelines to see whatever they do on the big or small screen.
