Teaser For Stranger Things: Tales From 85 Creeps Out

9 Comments | Netflix, sci-fi, Stranger Things, Stranger Things: Tales From 85 | By Peter Paltridge | February 2, 2026 | 2 minutes of reading

Since Stranger Things: Tales From 85 was first announced back in 2023, no one knew what would come first: the fifth season or the cartoon. It turned out both took an incredibly long time to finish, but the live-action show made it over the line just before the animated show did. Today turned out to be the day Netflix gave us a look at the latter.

The series is set between seasons two and three, which is really the only time you could set something like this: it’s a time when everyone is in a good position and nobody is cliffhung in any kind of predicament. “In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading,” Netflix describes. “Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely?”

I would offer commentary, but I just spent the entire weekend and over 7,000 words describing what Stranger Things means to me, so…forgive me for passing a link because I feel exhausted. I’m darn proud of that essay, actually, so even if it takes you over a half-hour to read based on this site’s estimate, you should check it out…and leave a comment! I’d appreciate it.

Stranger Things: Tales From 85 mainly follows the kid characters, who are younger than we’ve gotten used to, so the original actors can’t voice them anymore. Actually all the voices have been replaced, including the grown-ups, so it’s more like Netflix is cheap. The cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, EJ (Elisha) Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, Brett Gipson as Hopper, and newly revealed with the trailer below, Jeremy Jordan as Steve. Unidentified roles include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips. We feel fairly confident Garofalo is going to be Joyce.

Soon you can travel back and pretend the finale didn’t happen with Stranger Things: Tales From 85, coming April 23. The current number of seasons it’s intended for is unknown.

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Active Member

452 messages 45 likes

#1 Feb 03, 2026

The trailer actually got me thinking about the idea of stories set between seasons. I feel like this could be the most lighthearted version of Stranger Things we’ve ever gotten, which is kind of refreshing. I like seeing the characters before things got really intense, because it makes their personalities more visible. That said, I’m a bit nervous about the recasting. Voices really define a character for me, and changing them could make it harder to feel the same attachment. I also wonder how much the animation will lean into the scary parts. The Upside Down doesn’t need to be as graphic in animation, but the mystery should still be there. Overall, I’m intrigued and slightly anxious. I just hope it doesn’t feel like a cheap version of the live-action show.

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RedRankRider

35 messages 0 likes

#2 Feb 03, 2026

Honestly, I feel like these mid-quels exist because Stranger Things was supposed to run for eight full seasons. The pandemic clearly messed up production schedules, and on top of that, the kids started hitting puberty right in the middle of filming, which made it impossible to keep them looking the same age. So instead of continuing the story as planned, Netflix had to fill the gaps with these in-between stories like Tales From 85. It’s kind of a way to explore moments that were originally meant to be part of the main seasons but couldn’t happen because of real-life issues. I get why they’re doing it, and it’s kind of interesting to see the quieter times in Hawkins, but I can’t help thinking that the original vision got completely altered. It makes sense now why they’re telling these side stories—they’re patching holes that were never supposed to be there in the first place.

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New Member

83 messages 3 likes

#3 Feb 03, 2026

The setting between seasons gives writers freedom to tell small stories without ruining the main plot. The animation choice could work if they focus on mood rather than flashy visuals. I’m nervous about the full cast change, but I think Jeremy Jordan as Steve could be fun. Seeing the kids interact in less dangerous times is interesting, especially since the horror usually dominates their lives. The teaser makes it feel mysterious enough, so I’ll give it a chance. Even if it’s not perfect, I’m curious what new threats they come up with for Hawkins.

Well-Known Member

979 messages 35 likes

#4 Feb 03, 2026

Why even bother with this? The main show already ended (badly) and now we get cartoon filler set in the past? The teaser is cool looking I admit, that under-ice horror thing is spooky, but I’m over Hawkins. New voices across the board feels like a cash grab, not passion. If they wanted to do animated why not make it its own thing instead of recycling the same kids? I’ll probably skip unless reviews say it’s actually scary.

Scoopin Ice Cream since Demogorgons invade Hawkins

184 messages 18 likes

#5 Feb 03, 2026

This teaser got me hyped more than I thought it would. The quiet normal life turning dark again is exactly what I miss from early seasons. Animation lets them do weirder Upside Down stuff without budget limits maybe. The kid voices are solid picks, especially the girl doing Eleven, she nailed the quiet intensity. Steve with Jeremy Jordan is genius casting, his tone fits perfect. April 23 is soon enough to hold me over until whatever comes next. Count me in 100%.

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New Member

43 messages 0 likes

#6 Feb 03, 2026

Seeing Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and the gang in 1985 just hits differently because it reminds me of all the scenes from seasons one and two. The snowball fights part actually makes me smile because it’s something simple we rarely see in Stranger Things, and it makes the characters feel like real kids. I know some people will complain about the recasting, but I think I can get over it if the story is good. I’m also really curious who Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips are going to play. The mix of mystery and winter vibe is kind of perfect. I’ll probably binge it the day it drops just to see what small adventures they come up with before the bigger threats returned.

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I wanna make you laugh and then I want to stab you

21 messages 0 likes

#7 Feb 03, 2026

Screams cash grab. Netflix sees the main show wrapped up and thinks “let’s milk it with cartoons.” The teaser looks nice with snow and creepy ice, sure, but why go back to 1985 when the story already moved past that? New voices for everyone including the adults is just lazy. Hopper without his real voice will feel empty. I’m not watching kids versions again with different actors. They should make new stories instead of recycling old peaceful moments then adding fake horror. Disappointed already.

True Patriot

108 messages 11 likes

#8 Feb 03, 2026

Nah, hard pass on this animated spin-off. The teaser tries to be spooky with that thing under the ice, but it’s the same old Upside Down trick we’ve seen a hundred times. Setting it between seasons 2 and 3 is boring because nothing big happens there on purpose. Now they force drama into the quiet time? And replacing all voices because the actors are too old now is cheap. Jeremy Jordan as Steve sounds wrong already in my head. Netflix just wants more subscriptions without effort. I’ll skip this one completely.

New Member

16 messages 0 likes

#9 Feb 03, 2026

Why does every franchise need a cartoon now? The teaser has cool visuals, winter Hawkins looks pretty, but the story sounds forced. “Something terrifying awakens” – yeah right, like we haven’t heard that before. The kids were great in live-action, no need for younger cartoon versions with new voices that won’t match. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven might be okay, but the rest? Doubt it. This feels like they ran out of ideas for the main show and decided to fill time with side stuff. Not interested at all.

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