Duffer Brothers confirm 'Stranger Things' finale Easter egg hints at spinoff
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the final episode of Stranger Things.
The Duffer brothers confirmed that the rock in the briefcase from the Stranger Things finale is a hint for the series’ upcoming spinoff, which will explore a different mythology.
Speaking to Variety, Matt and Ross Duffer discussed the series’ ending, including an Easter egg that hints at a spinoff. If you’ve already watched the final episode, you’ll remember that in the backstory, a young Henry Creel found a briefcase clutched by an injured scientist. Inside was a rock that allowed the Mind Flayer to infect him, gave him supernatural powers, and eventually transformed him into Vecna.
When asked how they would describe that essential scene, the Duffers said it was "Spinoffy."
"The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you’re going to understand it. But it’s a completely different mythology. So it’s not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It’s very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining," Matt said.
The creators said that they were working on it "on-and-off" and will resume working on it next week.
"My favorite part of the show is working on it. It’s not releasing it—that’s just stressful, no matter how it goes when you release it. It’s maybe my least favorite part of the process. I like the creative part. I like making it. So, we’re actually really excited," he added.
He also revealed that it will feature new characters, a new town, and a new mythology.
Prior to this, the Duffers have also worked on a spinoff animated series dubbed Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which is set to be released on Netflix this year. The upcoming show features the original characters facing new monsters in Hawkins.
Released in 2016, Stranger Things is set in the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a series of unsettling and supernatural events expose dark government experiments and supernatural forces from the parallel dimension.
