As viewers will recall, Max was taken under Vecna’s spell, her bones broken, eyes damaged, and put into a coma. Season 5 revealed that Max had actually been in a trance this whole time, stuck in the space she’d end up calling Camazotz when she crossed paths with Holly Wheeler ( Nell Fisher) there.

Stranger Things Season 5 brings the Hawkins gang’s coming-of-age journey to a powerful and long-awaited culmination.

The most notable continuation at this point is the animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which Netflix announced back in November and is slated to release in 2026. Plot details are sparse, but we know it takes place between Seasons 2 and 3. It's the same characters we know and love but an entirely new voice cast. Here's a look:

Matt and Ross Duffer explain everything about the 'Stranger Things' series finale, including Eleven's ambiguous fate, the final battle and that rock.

Questions remain about the fate of Eleven, and talk of a secret 9th episode on Jan. 7 has bubbled up on social media.

Until the Stranger Things spinoff and animated series come to Netflix, fans can still enjoy the universe with the Stranger Things: The First Shadow play. The stage show — which was written by Kate Refry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers and Jack Thorne — has been running on Broadway since April 2025.