Netflix's Stranger Things Tales From ’85 trailer reopens a painful wound fans hoped had healed

The Stranger Things universe is officially expanding, and the reaction so far has been… conflicted.

The original series wrapped after five seasons and a supersized finale, but it’s clear the Duffer Brothers weren’t done poking around Hawkins. Enter Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated prequel that promises nostalgia, a playful new format, and, judging by the trailer, a few emotional choices that have already raised eyebrows.

Netflix has confirmed the series will premiere on April 23, 2026, and the newly released trailer doesn’t ease viewers in gently. Instead, it dives straight into familiar territory, including storylines many fans thought were already settled.

Back to Hawkins, winter 1985

Set between Seasons 2 and 3, Tales From ’85 rewinds the clock to winter in Hawkins, reuniting the gang as yet another paranormal threat begins to creep into town. The tone shifts with animation, but the core ingredients remain: childhood adventure, creeping dread, and high stakes lurking just beneath the surface.

So far, so comforting.

But it’s the emotional undercurrents, not the monsters, that have sparked the loudest reactions.

Steve Harrington and the love triangle that refuses to die

Steve Harrington appears in the trailer, once again carrying unresolved feelings for Nancy Wheeler.

One moment in particular has fans side-eyeing hard: Steve accidentally calling another girl, Natalia, by Nancy’s name. It’s a small slip, but it opens a very old door, and not everyone is thrilled.

To be fair, Steve and Nancy’s history has never been clean-cut. Their breakup in Season 2 was awkward and emotionally messy, capped by Steve watching Nancy from afar at the Snow Ball before she ultimately begins dating Jonathan Byers. By Season 3, Steve is suddenly unlucky in love, while Season 4 pulls him right back into Nancy’s orbit amid Vecna-induced chaos.

During that season, the show leans heavily into the idea that the feelings never fully went away. Eddie Munson even points out that Nancy is willing to risk her life for Steve, and Steve later confesses his dream of building a future complete with kids with her.

And then Season 5 happens.

Steve explicitly tells Jonathan that he and Nancy are never going to happen. Nancy, equally firm, admits she no longer has feelings for Steve — and, in a surprising twist, also breaks things off with Jonathan. We still don't know why.

Which is why Tales From ’85 reopening this chapter has left fans frustrated. Steve’s growth, from high school jock to emotionally mature protector, has been one of the show’s biggest triumphs. Reducing him once again to unresolved longing feels like a step backwards.

And while we’re here: where exactly are Jonathan and Joyce in all of this?

Hopper, Eleven, and familiar tensions

Elsewhere, the trailer revisits another familiar dynamic: Hopper in full overprotective-dad mode as Eleven’s relationship with Mike begins to deepen.

It’s classic Hopper, gruff, anxious, and deeply loving, but there’s an edge to it that feels slightly suffocating. As Eleven steps into independence, Hopper clearly isn’t ready to loosen the reins, setting up emotional tension that mirrors earlier seasons.

A fresh format, familiar debates

Despite the animated shift, the creators insist the heart of Stranger Things is still intact, blending childhood wonder with very real danger. The series also introduces an entirely new voice cast, with Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Benjamin Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper. Jeremy Jordan steps in as Steve Harrington, alongside Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips in additional roles.

With its release date locked and its first trailer already stirring passionate debate, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is shaping up to give fans yet another reason to return to Hawkins, even if it means reopening emotional storylines many thought were long buried.