While the theory is unlikely to be true, more Stranger Things content is indeed coming. Netflix is releasing a documentary about the making of season 5 on January 12 2026, which is a far more realistic follow-up to the platform’s biggest series ever after its feature-length finale.

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

Stranger Things Season 5 ended with the group defeating Mind Flayer and Vecna. They also successfully got rid of the Upside Down, but with Eleven's sacrifice.

Explore the Conformity Gate theory claiming Stranger Things’ Season 5 happy ending is a Vecna illusion as fans speculate a secret Episode 9 drop on January 7.

Of course, most of the kids in the gang have their own biological parents, and those dynamics evolve over the course of Stranger Things. Their parenting styles shift from the more hands-off approach that was common in the '80s—a stark contrast to the “helicopter” parenting style that is now the norm in many households today.