While fans were satisfied with the finale of Stranger Things, some still had nitpicks about the final scene due to the absence of Eleven, and are wondering why she was not included.
The beloved character, played by Millie Bobby Brown, had an ambiguous fate in the hit Netflix show's final episode, as she appears to sacrifice herself while the Upside Down was being destroyed to prevent the military from turning her into another Henry Creel. Fans have been debating whether she actually died or faked her death and survived.
Why Was Eleven Missing in the Final Scene of Stranger Things?
In an interview with Tudum, The Duffer Brothers explained that there was never a version in which Eleven was going to be part of the final scene of Stranger Things when they were writing the script.
"There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end. For us and our writers, we didn’t want to take her powers away. She represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood. For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away," Ross Duffer said.
"We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not. The fact that they’re believing in it, we just thought it was such a better way to end the story and a better way to represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults."
Matt Duffer added, "And the reality is, if Eleven is out there, the most that they could hope for is a belief that it’s true because they can’t be in contact with her. Everything falls apart if that were the case. So if that’s the narrative, this is really the best way to keep her alive. And it’s about Mike and everyone finding a way to move past what’s happened."
The showrunners emphasized that Eleven's fate is left to the audience's interpretation, and it's up to them how they will view the ending for the beloved character, whether she survived or not.
Is There a Stranger Things Spinoff Series in the Works?
The animated prequel series, Stranger Things: Tales from '85, is set to premiere on Netflix later this year.
The story takes place between the events of the second and third seasons. Set in 1985, it’s a freezing winter in Hawkins, and our heroes are about to embark on an epic journey where "the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town," the logline reads.
The Duffer Brothers are involved as executive producers of the series, while Flying Bark worked on the animation. However, the main cast from the series won't be reprising their roles.
A live-action spinoff series is also currently in development, but the details are still under wraps as the team is working on finalizing the main idea of the project.
"And the spinoff, it relates in some ways, but it really is a completely different story and a completely different location with completely different actors and characters. So it's its own. It's really its own entity," Matt Duffer teased.
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