Star Wars once set the benchmark for cinematic power fantasies — the idea that anyone, given the right circumstances, could tap into something greater.
For decades, the Jedi were pop culture’s definitive example of gifted individuals protecting the world (or galaxy) while grappling with personal struggles.
However, as the franchise has struggled through an oversaturation of underwhelming content in recent years — sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and TV shows — disillusioned fans and audiences have seemingly become increasingly drawn to another similar franchise.
For a long time, it seems like the Marvel Cinematic Universe had filled that space, but with that franchise also facing its own financial and critical challenges, there's one contender that arrived back in 2016 but whose popularity hasn't waned at all: Stranger Things.
Stranger Things has steadily become the topic of conversation the way Star Wars used to be. Its (mostly) ordinary leads, small town, and shady government agencies have connected with modern audiences in a way Star Wars — which operates in a much bigger playground (fantastical characters, an entire galaxy, and star-hopping fascist regimes) — no longer can.
Related: Global Streaming Records Fall as Stranger Things Gears Up for Final Season
Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, isn’t a Jedi, yet fans often point out that she functions just like one. She has telekinetic and telepathic abilities, and even a mentor in Jim Hopper (David Harbour), the gruff local sheriff. And instead of temples and lightsabers, Stranger Things shows isolation tanks, laboratories, and shadowy dimensions.
Season 5, whose first four episodes are now finally streaming on Netflix, highlights those parallels more than ever. A training sequence in the first episode sees Eleven racing through obstacles in a forest while using her abilities, all the while Hopper and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) monitor her progress. It mirrors Rey's training through a forest in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — but where her scenes were brief stylistic showcases, Stranger Things spends time showing the toll these gifts take.
Even the mythology between both franchises is comparable. The Jedi once represented a fallen order hunted into extinction following Order 66, and Stranger Things echoes that with the fate of the other “numbered” children — almost all wiped out at Hawkins Lab, leaving only a few survivors. Much like fans once theorized-about Jedi left in hiding, Stranger Things has made us wonder how many more like Eleven are out there in hiding.
Star Wars isn’t going anywhere, but its position in popular culture has changed. The faraway galaxy used to be untouchable — now it competes with a small town in Indiana.
Stranger Things Season 5 episodes 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix. The next three episodes will stream on December 25 (Christmas Day), and the finale will stream on December 31 (New Year's Eve).
Do you think Stranger Things handles super-powered characters better than Star Wars does? Which franchise do you prefer? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
