The Upside Down might be quiet for now, but Gaten Matarazzo believes it won’t stay that way forever. The Stranger Things star, who played the beloved Dustin Henderson for five seasons, shared his strong belief that the Duffer Brothers will bring the hit Netflix show back in the future. Matarazzo did not hold back when talking about a possible reboot, saying he has no doubt it will happen.
The actor pointed to clear signs that fans want more stories from Hawkins. After the show ended in 2025, social media exploded with reactions. One Stranger Things Instagram post featuring Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard received over 4 million likes. For Matarazzo, that number speaks for itself.
“I have NO DOUBT that Matt and Ross Duffer intend to REBOOT it in the future. I mean, I’m pretty sure the Stranger Things Instagram post with Millie and Finn got over 4 million likes or something, so it’s pretty clear fans want the main couple of the show to reunite someday.” – Gaten Matarazzo to Good Morning America
What Gaten Matarazzo Thinks About the Show’s Return
The 23-year-old actor made these comments during a chat with Good Morning America. He feels very sure about the chances of a Stranger Things reboot. His words came from seeing how much love the series still gets from viewers around the world.
Matarazzo has played Dustin since 2016. He grew up on screen with his co-stars. The bond between the cast and fans stayed strong through all five seasons. Now that the main story has finished, he sees a clear path for the Duffer Brothers to revisit this world.
He explained that the numbers do not lie. Millions of people still talk about the show. They share edits, write theories, and ask for more content. This level of interest makes a reboot not just possible but likely.
Duffer Brothers Leave Door Open for Future Return
The creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, have not shut down the idea completely. In a chat with Entertainment Tonight from January 2026, Ross Duffer said the fifth season closes the door on the Hawkins story. But he added an important note.
“I feel like this season really, truly does close the door on this story, on the story of Hawkins, and the story of the Upside Down and the story of these characters. [Maybe] in 20 years, if we’re all broke and need some money [and] we’ve all talked about it. I guess never say never.” – Ross Duffer to Entertainment Tonight
Ross called this idea their “safety net.” That means the Duffer Brothers have thought about coming back to the characters. They just want the right reason and the right time.
Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, also talked about this possibility. He told Entertainment Tonight that if a good story exists when everyone is at very different life stages, maybe. But he agreed that the show ended because it had finished what it needed to say.
Fans Demand More After Emotional Season 5 Finale
The final season of Stranger Things gave viewers a lot to process. The season came out on Netflix in 2025 after a nearly three-year wait. Fans had mixed feelings about how everything wrapped up. Some loved the emotional ending. Others felt the show struggled with its large cast.
One fan on social media wrote, “will has powers, 008 is back, vecna took all the kids, MAX IS ALIVE, will becoming friends with robin, military ass kicked, and the wheeler family parents is on the brink of death. stranger things 5 volume one is batshit crazy.”
Another viewer shared, “The acting, the music, the cinematography, how the scene is delivered, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT.”
But not everyone agreed. Some critics pointed out that the show’s dialogue felt clunky. Others said the long episodes did not help the pacing. Despite the split opinions, the love for the characters stayed strong. That love is exactly what Matarazzo sees as fuel for a reboot.
What a Stranger Things Reboot Could Look Like
If the Duffer Brothers decide to move forward with a Stranger Things reboot, questions come up right away. Would the original cast return? Would the story follow new characters? Or would it pick up years later with the same group?
Matarazzo has thought about where Dustin would end up. In a separate talk with The News International from January 2026, he shared detailed conversations with the Duffer Brothers about Dustin’s future after graduation. They talked about college, career, and relationships.
“We talked about, ‘Where do you think he went to college? What do you think he chose to study? How do you think he and Steve are going to be able to see each other all the time?’ We thought Dustin would go for engineering, maybe astrophysics, and he seemed like he’d definitely end up at NASA, working in theoretical physics.” – Gaten Matarazzo
He even looked up real engineering schools from the 1980s. Georgia Tech had a strong program at that time. That school is in Atlanta, where the cast filmed Stranger Things for years. This level of detail shows that Matarazzo has given real thought to where his character could go next.
Netflix Expands Stranger Things Universe Without Reboot
For now, Netflix is growing the world of Stranger Things in other ways. The streaming service has two spin-offs in active development. One of them is Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85. This is an animated series set between Seasons 2 and 3. It is expected to come out in 2026.
The animated show will bring back familiar characters. But a new cast of voice actors will play them. This spin-off lets fans stay in the world of Hawkins without needing the original actors to return right away.
Netflix also shut down false rumors about extra episodes. Fans started a theory called “Conformity Gate.” They believed a secret ninth episode of Season 5 would drop on January 7, 2026. Netflix ended this talk by changing the official Stranger Things social media bios to say, “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.”
Matarazzo’s Hopes for Dustin and Eleven’s Fate
Beyond the reboot talk, Matarazzo has shared his thoughts on how the final season handled the characters. He spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about whether his character Dustin believes Eleven is alive after the events of Season 5. He gave a thoughtful answer that fits Dustin’s personality.
“I definitely believe Dustin thinks she’s dead. He’s such a pragmatic, scientific dude who looks at all the evidence in front of him, and I don’t think he would truly believe it the way an optimist like [Finn Wolfhard’s] Mike would. But for his friend, he will probably always say that he believes she’s alive.” – Gaten Matarazzo to The Hollywood Reporter
He also left room for the Duffer Brothers to surprise everyone. Matarazzo said he sees a world where the creators flip the story around at some point. He thinks that might be their intention. For now, he keeps the answer simple: “I don’t know.”
This open-ended thinking fits perfectly with the idea of a reboot years down the line. If the Duffer Brothers want to change what fans think they know, they have that power.
Why a Reboot Makes Sense for Netflix
Stranger Things is one of the biggest shows in Netflix history. The series brought in millions of new subscribers. It created stars out of its young cast. It also built a world rich enough to support more stories.
A reboot or reunion special would bring huge attention. The Duffer Brothers know this. Ross Duffer’s comment about a “safety net” if they ever need money shows they understand the business side of things. The entertainment industry loves bringing back old hits. Stranger Things has the fanbase and the cultural weight to make a comeback work.
The only question is timing. A 10-year or 20-year reunion would let the cast age naturally. Viewers could see where Mike, Eleven, Dustin, and the others ended up as adults. That kind of story could be very different from the coming-of-age tale the show already told.
Stranger Things Season 5 is now streaming in full on Netflix. The show is available for viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and worldwide.
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