Stranger Things season 4 is ready to make a big splash with its grand return on Friday, May 27. Netflix's hit series prepares to take the Duffer Brothers’ unique vision to a whole new level with a season so big it had to be divided into two parts. Not only have the trailers hinted at Vecna, the major villain of the Upside Down, but the scope of the series has widened far beyond Hawkins itself.
Aside from Stranger Things sending Joyce and Hopper to Russia, season 4 also finds Will (Noah Schnapp) and Johnathan (Charlie Heaton) out in California. Furthermore, the show has introduced a brand new character in Argyle (Eduardo Franco, Booksmart), a pizza delivery boy for Surfer Boy Pizza and Jonathan's best friend.
Screen Rant spoke to Franco, Heaton and Schnapp about Will and Jonathan's life in California, Argyle's introduction to the story, as well as the best hairstyles and pop culture influences in Stranger Things season 4.
Screen Rant: So glad to be back, right? We haven't seen the crew really separated like this. For Noah and Charlie, how are Jonathan and Will handling the California lifestyle?
Charlie Heaton: We're both struggling, I think.
Noah Schnapp: Yeah, always a struggle.
Charlie Heaton: From leaving Hawkins, where we find them, I think they're both dealing with the change and what that means for their characters. For my character, it’s the distance in his relationship, which is obviously incredibly important to him, and how he's dealing with that. And for you, [Noah], missing your friends. Well, I won't speak for you.
Noah Schnapp: It's a new place, and we're far away from home and coping with that.
Charlie Heaton: We're both struggling with change. Well, it's nice Jonathan has a new friend in Argyle, which is a sort of lovely dynamic.
Eduardo, welcome to Stranger Things. Were you a big fan of the show before joining, and how do you describe the feeling of joining this cast?
Eduardo Franco: Thank you. Yeah, when the first season dropped, I remember I loved it. I watched it beginning-to-end. Yeah, dude, it was sick. I'm the worst when it comes to TV shows. I can't ever finish them. I do that with a lot of shows; I start them, and I never finish them. With this show, I finished watching it when I booked it, because I was like, "Well, I’ve got to know what's going on, right?"
It was just so crazy. In my mind, I've always had what they all looked like in the first season, and then, seeing them later in the show, I was like, "Oh my God!" It's such a drastic change seeing how much they've grown up, and then seeing them in person. I was like, "What the hell. These are grown ass adults. It's so crazy how big they've gotten." I mean, it's just an honor to be a part of it.
It is wild. There’s so much change between each season. Who wins best hair this season?
Eduardo Franco: There's a lot of great hair, right? It's the '80s.
Noah Schnapp: I'd say Argyle.
Eduardo Franco: I'd say Will. Will's hair is the best. By far the most the most wanted haircut, right?
Charlie Heaton: Mine was the longest it's ever been this season. It was rough.
What themes does this season explore? We kind of get different influences each season. What are we getting in season 4?
Noah Schnapp: We were talking about it before with Nightmare on Elm Street.
Charlie Heaton: Yeah, just the way that they're able to shift genres in the show... If the first season is a homage to The Goonies and ET and Stand By Me, this is likened to Nightmare on Elm Street. What other ones? This gets much more in the horror genre, which is cool that they can do that. They can pick any kind of genre and be like, "Okay, we're going to Stranger-fy it.
We are still coping with the news that this is the beginning of the end. How are you guys feeling about there? And is there any question you really want answered before the show ends?
Eduardo Franco: It's the beginning for me. I don't know [Laughs].
Charlie Heaton: You brought on the beginning of the end.
Eduardo Franco: That's exactly what I do. I always ruin anything and everything I come across.
Noah Schnapp: No, but it is sad. Yeah, for sure. Definitely.
Charlie Heaton: Mind-blowing. But I think what's great about getting towards the end is, from a story standpoint, you're kind of unveiling a lot of the curtain now for fans. You're getting to see so much more of what's behind this. You're getting deeper into the story.
Stranger Things Season 4 Synopsis
It's been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn't made things any easier.
Check out our interviews with Stranger Things stars Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Priah Ferguson & Gaten Matarazzo and Robert Englund.
The first volume of Stranger Things season 4 episodes premiere May 27 on Netflix.