Stranger Things may have wrapped up its mainline series late last year, but that doesn’t for a second mean that we’ve seen the last of that universe. The wildly successful ’80s-set sci-fi show is now a full-blown franchise, already boasting a Broadway play, an animated spin-off, and an untitled live-action spin-off with an entirely new cast and set in a completely different decade, and it’s sure to expand even further from there. The series also made bonafide stars out of its young cast, most notably Sadie Sink, who’s now playing Jean Grey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the foreseeable future. Honestly, it’s difficult to imagine the franchise getting bigger than it already is, but Netflix and the Duffer brothers are certainly giving it their best shot. In fact, the franchise is already gearing up for its next big release, which will hit Netflix far sooner than fans may have expected.
The aforementioned animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, will drop its second and final season on Netflix on September 17, expanding further on what the show’s beloved characters were up to between Seasons 2 and 3 of the main series. Tales from ’85‘s first season only just hit the streamer in April, so the fact that a second season is already upon us will certainly surprise some. While not as critically acclaimed as parts of the core story (namely Seasons 1 and 4), the animated spinoff received decent reviews, earning a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and recapturing some of the nostalgia for which the franchise is known.
How Tales from ’85 Deepens the Stranger Things Universe
While Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 again spotlights the characters we know and love, it features an entirely new cast and a slightly different feel. The voice cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven/Jane Hopper, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, and plenty of other recast characters. But its cast isn’t the only thing altering its feel. Tales from ’85 Season 1 also showcases a handful of new monsters from the Upside Down, most notably vine beasts, snow sharks, and troublesome pumpkin creatures. Now, with the just-released Season 2 trailer confirming that ghosts are in the mix, the Stranger Things universe has officially grown beyond mind-flayers, demogorgons, and Vecna.
Tales from ’85 is hardly the critical darling that Stranger Things Season 1 was, but it’s not bad by any stretch. It’s intended to evoke the Saturday Morning cartoons that brightened the Duffers’ childhood, the ones that Eleven, Dustin, Max, Lucas, the Byers, and the Wheelers might have watched every weekend. It helps that the voice cast sounds like the original actors, which goes a long way in making it a worthwhile addition to the franchise. Judging by the trailer, Season 2 looks like it will be energetic, fast-paced, and colorful at the very least. Hopefully, it can improve upon the first season and prove to skeptical fans that it’s a story worth telling.
Netflix will release all ten episodes of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 Season 2 at 3 a.m. ET on September 17.
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