Fans waiting to hear Millie Bobby Brown or Finn Wolfhard reprise their famous roles in the new animated show will be disappointed. Netflix is releasing Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 on April 23, 2026, but the voices coming out of Eleven and Mike will sound completely different. The streaming service chose to bring in an entirely new group of actors for this animated trip back to Hawkins.
The decision left many viewers confused. After spending years watching the original cast grow up on screen, it feels strange not to have them return for more adventures. But the people making the show have clear reasons for this choice, and they promise it will make the show better for everyone watching.
The Age Problem Makes Returning Voices Impossible
The main reason the original Stranger Things cast did not come back comes down to one simple thing: age. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 takes place in the winter of 1985, right between the events of Season 2 and Season 3. During that time in the show’s timeline, Mike Wheeler, Eleven, Dustin Henderson, and the rest of the gang are only 13 and 14 years old.
But the actors who played these characters have grown up a lot since filming those earlier seasons. Millie Bobby Brown got married, and all the young stars are now adults with deeper, more mature voices. Putting those older voices into younger versions of the characters would break the feeling of the show. Animation relies heavily on voice acting to sell the story, and having a grown adult try to sound like a young teenager often does not work well.
Eric Robles, the showrunner for the animated series, explained this problem clearly. He told Radio Times that the original actors’ adult voices would feel wrong for the younger versions of the characters shown in this new series. He wanted to capture the same youthful energy that The Duffer Brothers created in the early seasons of the live-action show.
“We wanted to capture the youthfulness, which is what the Duffer Brothers really enjoyed about those early seasons.” – Eric Robles, Showrunner
Robles also talked about how he wanted spontaneous moments in the voice recordings, just like what happened on the original show’s set. The new child actors sometimes have voice cracks or say unexpected things while recording, which adds realness that would be much harder to get from older actors.
A Completely New Voice Cast Takes Over Hawkins
The new voice cast for Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 features young actors who can authentically sound like teenagers. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt will voice Eleven, Luca Diaz takes over as Mike Wheeler, and Braxton Quinney steps into the role of Dustin Henderson. Elisha Williams will play Lucas Sinclair, Benjamin Plessala voices Will Byers, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport brings Max Mayfield to life.
Adult characters also have new voices. Brett Gipson will voice Jim Hopper, Jeremy Jordan takes on the role of Steve Harrington, and Alessandra Antonelli voices Nancy Wheeler. The show also adds new characters to the mix, including Nikki Baxter, a transfer student voiced by Odessa A’zion, who joins the core group.
One familiar face does return, but in a different role. Robert Englund, who played Victor Creel in Season 4 of the original show, will voice a new character named Cosmo in the animated series. This gives fans a small connection to the original cast without forcing an older actor to play a younger version of a past character.
Animation Requires Different Acting Skills
Voice acting is not the same as performing in front of a camera. Many live-action actors struggle with voice work because animation needs bigger emotions, clearer vocal expressions, and a completely different rhythm. The producers wanted actors who already understood these differences and could deliver performances that fit the animated format.
The show also takes a different approach to storytelling. Eric Robles explained that the new voice actors helped the team explore new ways of telling stories in Hawkins. The spontaneous lines and natural reactions from the young cast brought fresh energy to the recording booth. This creative freedom would not have been possible if the original actors simply tried to copy their past performances.
The Duffer Brothers have also been clear about their plans for the Stranger Things universe. They told SFX magazine that the main story of Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Steve, and the others ends with Season 5. Ross Duffer said they do not want to bring these characters back in 20 years for a reunion or revival.
“This really is the end of the story of Eleven and Mike and Lucas and Dustin and Steve and all these characters, and Hawkins specifically.” – Ross Duffer
Matt Duffer added that the book is closed on these characters, and bringing them back would hurt the impact of the ending. By using a new voice cast for the animated spin-off, the creators respect that ending while still allowing the world of Stranger Things to continue in new ways.
What to Expect From Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85
Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 will release exclusively on Netflix on April 23, 2026. All episodes will drop on the same day, letting fans watch the entire story at once. Viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, India, and everywhere else Netflix operates will get access to the show at the same time.
The story takes place during a snowy winter in Hawkins, Indiana, right after Eleven closed the gate to the Upside Down at the end of Season 2. Life seems to be returning to normal for the kids, with school, Dungeons & Dragons games, and snowball fights. But a new paranormal mystery starts to grow beneath the surface, forcing the group to fight new monsters connected to the Upside Down.
The Duffer Brothers serve as executive producers alongside Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, and Hilary Leavitt, while Eric Robles runs the show. The team wanted the animation style to feel like a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon, mixing modern computer animation with retro visual styles that long-time fans will recognize.
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