It seems saying the was underwhelming is no longer a controversial take. Fans were so sure it was “intentionally bad” that they came up with a conspiracy theory about a . Even Matthew Modine—who played Papa—said he Still, this might not stay the case forever.
Though Stranger Things has wrapped up, the series still has new installments ahead—and a critical prequel could make the finale feel better in hindsight.
recently shared that Stranger Things’ Broadway tie-in play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, will be professionally filmed for a future Netflix release. All performances this week were canceled, so the cast will likely be the current one. That’s especially notable because Alex Breaux—who played Lt. Akers in Stranger Things Season 5—now portrays a younger version of Matthew Modine’s Dr. Brenner on stage.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set in 1959, when the Creel family moves to Hawkins, Indiana. Young Henry tries to make friends at school and eventually forms a close bond with Patty Newby, Bob Newby’s adopted sister. Meanwhile, Joyce Maldonado (who later becomes Joyce Byers) is trying to lead the school play. When Henry’s telekinetic powers cause chaos, Joyce, a young Jim Hopper, and several other familiar faces set out to solve the mystery.
This play is officially part of the Stranger Things canon and was even referenced in multiple Season 5 flashbacks. For example, many fans were confused by one of Henry Creel’s memories: a young Henry encountering a man in a cave with a briefcase. The stage play reveals this man was actually a colleague of Dr. Brenner who defected to the Soviet Union—and when Henry found him, he was transported and permanently changed.
To most viewers, this memory felt like a total non sequitur—but for those lucky enough to see the play on Broadway or London’s West End, it made perfect sense. Now, once the filmed version hits Netflix, everyone will get the full story.
Will this fix all of Season 5’s problems? Probably not. In fact, the stage show actually reveals more plot holes—like why Joyce and Hopper never mentioned this high school adventure in the main series. But at the very least, it will make the finale’s most important flashback easier to understand.
There’s still no word on when the filmed version will be available, but with the animated spinoff Tales from ‘85 premiering in April 2026, there won’t be a shortage of Stranger Things content for a while—even if the main story is over.