It's hard to believe that it's been nearly two years since Netflix's Stranger Things last graced our screens with new episodes. Filming delays and other scheduling conflicts caused by the ongoing pandemic have considerably extended the wait for the sci-fi series' return, much to the dismay of fans around the world. But after months of radio silence, it looks like we are finally getting some much-needed updates on the show's upcoming fourth season.
Earlier this week, a series of short teaser clips were released by the Stranger Things production. While they don't reveal much about how the story will continue from the third season, they do hint at dark times to come; especially for Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. A minute-long preview entitled "Eleven, are you listening?" appears to reveal the existence of more supernatural children similar to Eleven, which could indicate that the fourth season will be more heavily focused on the telepath's origins.
But perhaps the most intriguing clip that was released is one of the HNL Control Room, which shows a grouping of security monitors riddled with white static. Every few seconds or so, random images flicker onto the screens, and each one is as equally cryptic as the last. These include the metal handle of a facility door, a white room with a rainbow-tiled pattern on the floor, a chessboard with knocked-over pieces, and a mysterious eight ball covered in blood.
It's unclear what the images represent, but knowing the Duffer Brothers, they likely have some important meaning or purpose with regards to the plot of the show. If there's anything we are actually certain about, it's that much of the original cast has been confirmed to return, including David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, and Caleb McLaughlin.
There will also be a couple of new faces, including Game of Thrones' Joseph Quinn, Fantastic Beasts' Jamie Campbell Bower, Booksmart's Eduardo Franco, and Robert Englund, the original Freddy Kruger. Englund's involvement is particularly fitting since Gaten Matarazzo recently said that Stranger Things season 4 will be the "darkest" one yet for the show.
Currently, no official release date for Stranger Things has been announced by Netflix. In fact, Matarazzo told Collider back in March that they still had many scenes they needed to film and that "there's really no way to figure out when we're going to be wrapping." Wolfhard seemed to second that claim, saying that Stranger Things season 4's release date should be sometime in 2022, at the latest. For now, fans will just have to stay patient until another update is provided by the Stranger Things team.
Stranger Things season 4 is currently in production at Netflix.
Source: Stranger Things/YouTube