Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Is A Franchise-Killing Move By Netflix

Netflix can’t let Stranger Things rest in peace. Less than six months after the series finale, the streamer is resurrecting it with a spin-off, Tales From ’85. Netflix is betting that fans haven’t gotten enough of the kids from Hawkins, but if Tales From ’85 isn’t a hit, it could be a franchise-killer. The thing is, though? That might be for the best.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is set between early seasons of the show, making it a “lost chapter” of the Upside Down Saga. It carries on the legacy of Stranger Things’ ’80s homages by trying to recreate the vibe of a classic Saturday-morning cartoon. Yet there are things about Tales that could give some hardcore Stranger Things fans cause for concern.

And that’s to say nothing of general audiences who might be suffering from franchise fatigue. The end of a TV series as beloved as Stranger Things used to be a sad, monumental moment in time. Now it’s the start of a ticking clock, counting down until the next installment in the franchise launches. Cue Tales From ’85.

Warning! Some spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things finale.

If “Tales From ’85” Doesn’t Deliver, It Could Be The End Of “Stranger Things”…

The Animated Spin-Off Drops April 23, 2026; Why The Pressure Is On The Show To Succeed

If you weren’t satisfied with Eleven’s fate in “The Rightside Up,” the Season 5 finale of Stranger Things, well then, thankfully, you can follow her continuing adventures in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. Except this isn’t a sequel, it’s an “interquel,” set within the existing timeline of the show. And voice actress Brooklyn Norstedt will be stepping into the role of Eleven.

In fact, none of the cast of Stranger Things are reprising their roles for this new animated adventure. These are just a few things that could turn Stranger Things fans off of the spin-off. Which is a scary notion for Netflix, because this show is dropping at a bit of an awkward time. We’re still just a few months out from a divisive finale. Plenty of viewers are good on Stranger Things right now. And so Netflix can’t afford to lose the ones who can’t get enough.

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Netflix wants to keep Stranger Things going in perpetuity. More specifically, Stranger Things is a multimedia franchise, but Netflix wants it to have a continued TV presence. While there’s still reportedly a live-action spin-off in development, that’s years away at this point. Tales From ’85 is Netflix’s way of keeping Stranger Things alive on television for now. But many of us are standing around going, “stop, stop, it’s dead already.”

…And Honestly, Netflix Needs To Let “Stranger Things” Go

Fans Can’t Say Goodbye If The Franchise Doesn’t Go Anywhere

The best thing Netflix could possibly do would be to let Stranger Things end with some grace. To say, “we made a juggernaut hit and changed the landscape of entertainment,” take a bow, let the curtain fall, give the series its flowers, and move on to the next big thing. That’s not going to happen. Unfortunately, these days, IP can’t die of natural causes. It has to be put down the hard way.

That is, it needs to die painfully, rejected by fans, the whole franchise’s reputation sullied. And even then, it’s probably not really going anywhere. Not for long. The money that Netflix invests in Stranger Things spin-offs, or HBO sinks into Game of Thrones spin-offs, could instead be spent on developing the next generation of iconic TV shows. But it’s being spent on franchise content, often with diminishing returns.

Is “Stranger Things” Officially A Zombie Franchise Now?

No, Hawkins Isn’t Being Overrun By The Undead. (Yet.)

The worst case scenario for Tales From ’85 is that it looks like Stranger Things, and moves like Stranger Things, but lacks Stranger Things’ soul. Because that’s what the franchise is in danger of becoming right now: a zombie. No, not like The Walking Dead. But rather, a shadow of its former self that keeps going long after it is time for it to be put to rest.

Stranger Things is an epic. It is a saga. It has its own detailed mythology and lore. All aspects that lend themselves to franchise storytelling. Yet there are things about the show that work against franchising it, as well. Stranger Things is about a specific time and place. It is about a specific set of core characters. It is a coming of age story, and its heroes are now of age.

The animated spin-off Tales From ’85 “solves” these problems by taking place between Season 2 and Season 3 of the main show. But that’s risky. That’s “you can’t go home again” territory. The kind of thing that Netflix might think is catering to Stranger Things fans, only to have it alienate them.

Netflix wanted the end of Stranger Things to be a spectacle, and it succeeded. It was also a definitive ending, other than one big ambiguous note. Which is why it’s hard not to look at Tales From ’85 like it is a hand bursting out of a freshly-dug grave. It’s hard not to feel like Stranger Things is back from the dead too soon.

Netflix Will Only Let “Stranger Things” Truly End If It Fails; The Sad Truth Of Modern Franchises

Tales From ’85 Is A Symptom Of A Larger Issue

There shouldn’t be this much riding on an animated show, but Tales From ’85 could be make-or-break for Stranger Things. Or it’s just an experiment, and even if it flops, Netflix will simply go back to the drawing board and figure out something else to do with its foundational franchise. But if we’re being real here, the premise of the series isn’t doing the show any favors.

It screams “more of the same.” It screams “safe.” It screams “back to the well.” All things that could make it a huge hit, or doom it to failure. If Tales From ’85 succeeds, it is validation for Netflix. If it isn’t well-received though, or doesn’t do numbers for the streamer, it could be an inadvertent nail in the coffin for Stranger Things.

And if you find yourself yearning for a simpler time when TV shows actually ended, that might be what you want. In an era of franchise saturation, and “zombie franchises” constantly coming back with a new installment, a new reboot, a new cast playing the same characters, and so on, you might be more than ready to say goodbye to Stranger Things, but Netflix won’t be unless the audience sends a clear message, in which case Tales From ’85 will be an unfortunate casualty.

What do you think, Stranger Things fans? Are you excited for the animated spin-off? Or do you need a break?

Release Date

April 23, 2026

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Eric Robles

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  Brooklyn Davey Norstedt

  Eleven

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  Odessa A’zion

  Nikki Baxter

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  Jolie Hoang-Rappaport

  Max

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