Hawkins is going nowhere, and neither are its stark winter and blood-curdling monsters. The legacy of the bonds between the characters, creatures, and the kids riding bicycles will carry on as alive in people's memories as much as on the new spin-off. At this moment, prepare to be on the lookout for Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which is an animated spinoff that, along with its promise to rewind the clock, will also make the very same nostalgia come back. But the question is, will the original cast members return?

With the original saga almost finished, Upside Down gives one more entrance into an interconnected world of mystery, with voices that act beyond sentiments, ready to forge new, indelible memories.

Although Tales from '85 is demonstrably rooted in the iconic Hawkins lore, it does not revive the original live-action cast in voice form. Instead, new talent voices the beloved characters. Eleven is played by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt (WeCrashed), Max by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (In Your Dreams), Mike is voiced by Luca Diaz (Migration), Lucas by Elisha EJ Williams (The Wonder Years), Dustin by Braxton Quinney (Bigger), Will by Ben Plessala (Castlevania: Nocturne), and Hopper by Brett Gipson (Station 19).

Additionally, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and the signature 80s actor cast in Lou Diamond Phillips, among others, round out the brand-new voice cast. This casting shift implies that though the main cast retains the identities of the original characters from the Netflix blockbuster, they are not just the same voices. As Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven and her gang pass on the baton to the newcomers, the show strives to maintain the same Stranger Things franchise's aura, capturing the supernatural glory of Hawkins in a strikingly different light, further amplifying anticipations. 

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The makers of the spin-off seem to keep the characters' essence alive, albeit through different voices. But the show promises more than meets the eye.

The Duffer Brothers' highly anticipated animated spin-off, the one they have been very protective about, titled Tales from ’85, takes place in the winter of 1985, chronologically between the original Stranger Things Seasons 2 and 3. The plot revolves around the principal characters, Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Hopper as they unravel a new paranormal mystery and face the monsters that have invaded Hawkins. 

With a retro style inspired by Saturday-morning ‘80s animation, the horror and supernatural elements are about to grace the animated series. Executive producers Matt and Ross Duffer stressed the importance of freedom in its animation that let them "capture the magic of Hawkins in a new way," per the show's new featurette. Netflix has announced that the series would be available for streaming in 2026, but has not yet revealed a specific date.

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Are you excited to watch Tales from ’85 on Netflix? Comment your thoughts below.