When Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 arrives on Netflix later this year, it won’t just be asking fans to accept an animated version of Hawkins — they'll also need to let go of the actors who have defined the franchise for nearly a decade.
Set between seasons 2 and 3, the upcoming 3D animated Tales From ’85 returns to a period many viewers consider peak Stranger Things. Eleven is still adjusting to life outside the lab, Mike and Eleven’s relationship is just beginning, Will is no longer possessed but remains deeply connected to the Upside Down, and Jim Hopper is navigating his uneasy role as both protector and parent. The problem isn’t the timeline — it’s the voices.
Watch the announcement teaser for Tales From '85 below:
Related: Brand-New ‘Stranger Things' Episode Arrives on Netflix : Disney Fanatic
Millie Bobby Brown’s performance as Eleven, for instance, has been foundational to the series’ identity since 2016. Then there's Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Sadie Sink (Max), all of whom have also grown up alongside their characters.
The same goes for the likes of Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Joe Keery (Steve), and Charlie Heaton (Jonathan). And that's just the lineup of young characters — let's not forget David Harbour (Hopper) and Winona Ryder (Joyce). Needless to say, these actors are now synonymous with their on-screen counterparts.
Unfortunately, none of these actors will be returning in the animated series.
The voice cast for Tales From '85 includes Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha Williams as Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala as Will Byers, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield. Additional actors include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips, who have been cast in undisclosed roles.
Tales From ’85 will most probably succeed, but its first hurdle won’t be monsters, mysteries, or animation style — it will be the moment the characters speak and they don't sound anything like their live-action counterparts.
Watch Stranger Things Seasons 1 — 5 Now
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are streaming on Netflix.
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!
