The Stranger Things season 4 trailer teases a massive war and stakes for character, which begs the question, is this the final season? Stranger Things has come a long way since the show debuted in 2016. What was once a dark coming-of-age drama with hints of sci-fi and horror is now a full-blown sci-fi horror series with fantasy elements, as the latest Stranger Things season 4 trailer features a chilling villain played by Robert Englund, the iconic star of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise.
Despite — or perhaps because of — the show’s gradual tonal shift and its increasing scope, Stranger Things has only grown more popular in the years since it began. As Stranger Things season 4’s May 2022 release date nears, the show holds pride of place as one of Netflix’s most popular original series ever. However, with all of the latest trailer’s talk of endings, it would be understandable for viewers to wonder whether Stranger Things season 4 will be the show’s last hurrah.
Luckily, the answer is no. Stranger Things season 4 will not be the end of the series. Instead, season 4 will be the penultimate season. The Netflix hit is set to end with season 5, meaning Stranger Things season 4 is technically correct when the trailer refers to the upcoming episodes as the beginning of the show’s ending. However, this might be somewhat misleading, since the guarantee of further spinoffs ensures that the show’s universe won’t end completely with the arrival of Stranger Things season 5.
How Many Seasons Of Stranger Things There Will Be?
After 2022’s two-part season 4, there will be one more final Stranger Things season. However, once Stranger Things season 5 is complete, the fictional universe of the show will continue to be expanded via numerous spinoffs. Although the specific subjects of these shows have not yet been announced, there has been plenty of fan speculation online about which characters will have their stories continued after season 5. Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo even had to address the rumors of a possible Steve and Dustin spinoff, although notably, he did not confirm nor deny any plans for the series.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced in 2021 that Stranger Things would receive multiple spinoff series, confirming that the show’s fictional universe will not cease to exist at the end of season 5. However, in its current iteration, Stranger Things season 5 will be the end of the show. This gives the creators two seasons left to wrap up the story of Eleven, Mike, and the rest of the Hawkins gang, as well as Hopper, and Joyce, which might seem like a hefty task. Luckily, the fact that Stranger Things season 4’s episodes will be over an hour long apiece should help the creators pull off this ambitious endeavor.