Millie Bobby Brown says that Stranger Things season 4 will provide answers regarding Eleven's past and offer more insight into her background. Brown plays Eleven in the hit Netflix show, which is set to return this summer following a three-year hiatus after Stranger Things season 3. Eleven is one of the main protagonists of the series, a girl who was kidnapped at a young age and experimented on due to her psychokinetic powers, eventually breaking free and trying to live a normal life in Hawkins, Indiana.
In prior seasons, Eleven (aka Jane "El" Hopper) was revealed to have been born Jane Ives before being kidnapped and taken to Hawkins National Laboratory. There, her abilities were tested, eventually opening up a gateway to the "Upside Down," a dark dimension full of monstrous creatures, such as the Demogorgon. After defeating the most-recent creature to break through in Stranger Things season 3, Eleven seemingly lost her powers and left Hawkins with the Byers family to get away and start over, which looks to be where Stranger Things season 4 will start off.
In a virtual set visit from 2021, Screen Rant (along with other outlets) was on hand to talk with the cast, including Brown, who was asked about how much of her character's backstory would be explored in Stranger Things season 4. While Brown couldn't reveal specifics, she did say that fans will "get answers" to the many questions that have surrounded Eleven since Stranger Things season 1. She also suggested a "deep dive" of the character's background would be in the cards, which the actress was excited about as it would mean she could further explore her character. Here's her full quote:
"I really can’t go into detail about that! What I can tell you is that it always leads back to the Upside Down. And obviously [Eleven’s] character arc in this season is incredible and you guys definitely get to see things that you’ve been questioning; you get answers, which is super great and it was also really nice for me to be filming that and to understand more of Eleven’s background. But you guys will get to deep dive into that for sure in season 4."
The COVID pandemic resulted in a long delay of Stranger Things season 4 and fans have been anxiously awaiting the return, which will now be coming this summer in two parts. The first batch of episodes is set for May 27, 2022, and the second on July 1. A trailer for Stranger Things season 4 was released last week and gave audiences their first look at where things stand for the kids of Hawkins as they prepare to face an new threat in Vecna, the latest Upside Down villain that will be terrorizing their world in the 1986-set season. How Eleven and Vecna are connected remains to be seen, if at all, but she will no doubt be part of the team that ultimately battles him.
Eleven has been a fascinating character from the start, quickly becoming a cultural icon and making a star of Brown. Fans have rallied behind the character ever since, who has won them over with her awkward charm and powerful resilience. Peeling back the layers on who Eleven is and why she exhibits the powers she has is one of the most compelling aspects of the show and a thread that gets tugged ever-so-slightly from season to season. Hopefully, Stranger Things season 4 will give fans the answers they've been hoping for and continue to keep Eleven in the pop culture zeitgeist.