Chief Jim Hopper’s (played by David Harbour) supposed death at the end of season three was the biggest cause of debate in the Stranger Things fan base. Now the latest pieces of news could be revealing major hints to how the Netflix series will continue.
In the first trailer for season four, Stranger Things star David Harbour is revealed with a shaved head, his character Jim Hopper confirmed to be alive in a Russian prison camp.
With a major member of the cast on the other side of the world, and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) fleeing Hawkins, season four is set to be the most expansive instalment of the 80s nostalgia trip yet.
Now a recurring cast member has just been confirmed to be receiving a major promotion.
An exclusive from Variety confirmed that Priah Ferguson will return for the fourth season, with her role now upgraded to series regular.
She was introduced in a recurring role during season two as Lucas Sinclair’s (Caleb McLaughlin) younger sister, Erica.
Priah then took on an extended role in season three, assisting Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and another newcomer Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke).
Joined by Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), the team uncovered a covert Russian operation underneath the Starcourt Mall to break through to the Upside Down.
Erica proved a troublesome yet eventually invaluable member of the team.
The gap between seasons could prove to be the longest yet, with production for season four only just underway at the start of 2020.
It’s possible that the series could also see a substantial time jump and Erica could evolve from a slightly petulant pre-teen to a more fully rounded member of the gang.
Some fans agreed that her snarky one-liners wore thin as the season progressed.
One viewer added: “I just hope this doesn’t get my boy Lucas sidelined. He hasn’t had much character development in this show like the other guys.”
Lucas played a pivotal role in the first season, but his character development has taken a bit of a backseat as Stranger Things has progressed.
So far no new names have been added to the show’s already stacked roster, but most cast members from previous seasons will be returning.
If speculation that the upcoming season will be the last is correct, fans are hoping that each character will be given a suitably satisfying conclusion.
Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.
