Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1 Release Date, Cast, And Trailer - What We Know So Far



To say that it has been a long wait for Season 4 of "Stranger Things" would be something of an understatement. As viewers may remember, Season 3 premiered all the way back in July of 2019, and it's been an interesting journey to get Season 4 made. After a brief shut down due to the pandemic, "Stranger Things" resumed filming in October of 2020 (per Entertainment Weekly). Still, fans have been waiting literal years to see a follow up to Season 3, and to get concrete answers over where some of their favorite characters have ended up.


Season 3 of "Stranger Things" had a somewhat definitive ending and saw a lot of elements change for the main characters. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) seemingly lost her powers and was adopted by the Byers family after Hopper's (David Harbour) supposed "death," the Mind Flayer monster was destroyed, and some of the characters went their separate ways after deciding to move away from Hawkins, the central location for the first three seasons of the show.

With that in mind, Season 4 looks to be a very different entry for the series, but what exactly do we know about the forthcoming season?

When will Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1 released?

Unlike previous seasons of "Stranger Things," Season 4 of the show's release pattern will work a little differently. Instead of releasing it all at once, Season 4 will release in two separate parts. Part 1 will release on May 27, while Part 2 will release just five weeks later on July 1. While that may seem like a strange release strategy, it does somewhat ensure that "Stranger Things" will once again be an event viewing of the summer, similar to how Season 3 was when it came out in 2019.


The reason for this method of release was explained by showrunners the Duffer Brothers as Season 4 is much, much longer than previous seasons of the show (per TheWrap). Since Season 4 only contains one more episode than previous seasons, it's easy to assume that each episode's length is likely to be much longer than episodes in the previous seasons. Regardless, this split release strategy is by no means a new method for Netflix, which utilized a similar strategy for shows like "Lucifer."

Who is in the cast for Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1?

Netflix/YouTube
Most of the cast that appeared in the first three seasons of "Stranger Things" will once again be making their return for Season 4. This includes mainstays like Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers. As with previous seasons, this entry will see new characters brought into the fold. Bigger names also include Robert Englund as Victor Creel and Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri (per Variety).


Interestingly enough, David Harbour is also returning as Jim Hopper after seemingly dying in the Season 3 finale. He won't be the only character returning after an uncertain fate, either. After his apparent demise in Season 1, Matthew Modine's Martin Brenner is also making his return to "Stranger Things," though it's unclear in what capacity.

Simply put, Season 4 is looking to be stacked with new and returning characters, and it's all adding up to definitely be the biggest season of "Stranger Things" yet.

Is there a trailer for Stranger Things Season 4 Part 1?


For "Stranger Things" fans who are having a tough time waiting for May 27 to arrive, there is a teaser trailer available (per the "Stranger Things" YouTube page) to obsessively view and look for clues. The trailer itself focuses mainly on Eleven and her adjustment to a new life in California. It is narrated by Eleven in the form of a letter to Mike Wheeler, though the text of the letter is far more hopeful and positive than what the audience is shown. However, the last 20 seconds presumably show off more of the action-heavy bits to come, including explosions and what seem to be military vehicles and helicopters.

It's still unclear from this trailer exactly what direction Season 4 of "Stranger Things" will go in, but the official Netflix synopsis tells viewers this: "Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends is separated for the first time — and navigating the complexities of high school hasn't made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down."