At the beginning of Stranger Things: Tales From '85, Eleven and Max will not be good friends. The narrative takes place between Seasons 2 and 3, when Eleven is still trying to fit in, and Max is a stranger in Hawkins. Thus, their scenes will be mere encounters rather than a developing friendship.

"We get to go back in time and really just hang out with these kids," showrunner Eric Robles said.

Explore the winter of 1985 in Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, premiering April 23, 2026, on Netflix. Meet the new voice cast and witness the Hawkins crew battle unseen monsters in this thrilling animated chapter between seasons.

Netflix is taking the Stranger Things world on an audacious new path with Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, an animated offshoot that returns to Hawkins to tell a completely standalone tale.

While the flagship Stranger Things series is over, we'll be heading back to Hawkins much sooner than later with the new animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85! Come check out the trailer!

Stranger Things’ upcoming prequel, Tales from ’85, will feature the return of Eleven, but it won’t fix a notable character issue from season 5.