When Star Wars: The Clone Wars debuted in 2008 it wasn’t just an animated series— it was an important part of the prequel era, filling in the gaps between Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005) while giving new life to familiar faces and introducing breakout characters like Ahsoka Tano.
The distinct animation style helped it stand apart from other franchise entries, and that look has now become a common visual through-line in Lucasfilm’s animated slate, from The Bad Batch to the Tales Of anthology series.
Now, something new in that spirit — but not from Star Wars and not tied to the upcoming animated Maul series — is arriving later this year. Netflix has set 2026 for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, its first animated extension of the Stranger Things universe following the recent conclusion of the live-action series’ fifth season.
While early footage shown in the announcement trailer (below) suggests the visuals draw inspiration from modern works like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Netflix’s own Arcane, the character designs in Tales From ’85 are very similar to the those in The Clone Wars — the larger heads and puppet-like faces.
Related: ‘Stranger Things' Actors Would Be Recast in Live Action for Future Project : Disney Fanatic
Set between seasons 2 and 3 of the original Netflix series, the show brings back the core Hawkins crew — animated versions of Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max and Jim Hopper — with a new voice cast that includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, and Luca Diaz. Plot details confirm the series plunges back into Hawkins in the winter of 1985, where the gang must face new threats from the Upside Down.
Executive producers include Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, with Fanboy & Chum Chum alumnus Eric Robles serving as showrunner and Flying Bark Productions handling animation.
Whether or not it will have the same cultural impact as The Clone Wars remains to be seen, but that show didn't become a fan-favorite entry overnight. If Tales From '85 is the beginning of a new era for Stranger Things and not just a one-off, then only time will tell.
Tales From ’85 will premiere on Netflix later this year.
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are now streaming.
Stranger Things Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Are you excited about Stranger Things: Tales From ’85? Let us know in the comments down below!
