Stranger Things season 4 could look to time travel to continue the story. As one of Netflix's true breakout shows, the most recent season of Stranger Things was highly anticipated by many. Following the conclusion of Game of Thrones, season 3 of the Duffer brothers' series may have been the TV event of the summer. Returning to Hawkins, Indiana, in 1985, the third season once again changed the status quo.
After a season-long struggle with the Mind Flayer and the Russians infiltrating the small Indiana town, Stranger Things season 3 ended with the creature seemingly vanquished, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) without powers, and the death of Hopper (David Harbour). However, the very end of the season revealed that the Russians had a Demogorgon in their midst and made mention of an American prisoner. The prevailing theory among the Stranger Things fan community is that this American is Hopper, which has turned the discussion to how he got there - or maybe when he did.
Part of Stranger Things' charm is the '80s nostalgia dripping from each episode, but it has also continued to dive deeper into the sci-fi/fantasy genre it's playing in. And with season 4 (unofficially) on the horizon, the most recent run of episodes may include teases for what it will hold. Thanks to a not-so-subtle use of Back to the Future, could Stranger Things season 4 take its sci-fi roots and love for the '80s as building blocks for time travel? Check out the latest Screen Rant video for more on how time travel can factor into the next season.
While it's far from confirmed that Stranger Things will deal with time travel in season 4, it does immediately give the show even more possibilities. One such way that excited many viewers is the ability to bring back some beloved characters. This would likely start with the idea that time travel could allow the characters to bring Hopper back. But, once the technology was available to the Stranger Things crew, what would stop them from saving Barb or Billy, or Bob? This scenario would still leave Stranger Things to explain how time travel is discovered and who discovers it, but it'd otherwise be fun to see what could happen.
It is also possible that time travel isn't something that is going to be invented or discovered by these characters, but rather something that has already happened. Hopper was not seen again following the explosion in the season finale. After initially appearing to have been vaporized, many now believe the Russians took him as their own. But what if the explosion itself actually sent Hopper back in time? Maybe the final scene from season 3 wasn't happening in the present but rather was several years ago. This could give Stranger Things season 4 the ability to bring back an older Hopper, which would give Harbour another spin on the character to play. As more information on the future of Stranger Things is revealed, we'll be keeping a close eye on any possible clues of time travel.