On Monday, Netflix announced Stranger Things Season 4 is officially happening. In conjunction with the brief teaser for its return, the streaming company also revealed it had inked the creators of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer, for a multi-year film and series overall deal. While this is exciting news for fans of the ’80s-set series, it’s also left them with countless questions.
*Stranger Things 3 spoilers below*
The Season 3 finale of Stranger Things saw the apparent death of one its most beloved characters, with David Harbour’s Jim Hopper sacrifing himself to save the town of Hawkins. As soon as everyone had a chance the binge the episodes, theories started to bubble up online regarding the fate of Hopper.
The post-credits scene even teased an American being held in captivity in a Russian lab, although the identity of the individual is never revealed. Many theorized that Hopper was said American, having possibly managed to escape the destruction that took place after he closed the gate in the secret Russian lab beneath Hawkins.
With the release of the vague teaser, fans have gained even more hope that Hop is, in fact, alive. Behind the title card, especially as it fades away, a small light can be seen shining in the distance. While it’s hard to make out the location in the brief trailer, some have assumed that it could be Hopper’s shack in the Upside Down.
The clip also teases, “We’re not in Hawkins anymore.” Will, Joyce, Eleven, and Jonathan all made their way out of the town at the end of the season, but now some have theorized this could hint at the gang attempting to save Hopper in Russia.
Others, meanwhile, have gone full conspiracy theorist and are making predictions about the possibility of time travel.
There’s no release date yet for Season 4 of Stranger Things, so it could be a while until fans find out Hopper’s fate. David Harbour will, however, return to screens on Oct. 12 when he hosts Saturday Night Live, so expect some sort of parody of the series then.
