When it comes to a show with a mythology as packed as Stranger Things, it's completely natural for fans to form lots of theories about what's going on and might be coming up. Well, it turns out that those behind the show don't pay too much attention to those ideas, and there's a pretty good reason for that. Here's what executive producer Shawn Levy had to say about how they approach fan theories.
I think in general, we are wary of reading too much of our own press. And going down the rabbit holes of fan theories and desires. I think that the only other superstition is that we got here because of a reliance on our own instincts and above all a reliance on the Duffers' instincts. And my whole job, as both director and certainly as their executive producer, is to create a culture for our show that allows them to listen to themselves, trust each other, and execute. So my only other superstition is, don't let the outside voices ever get too loud in our ears, because it might drown out the inner voices that got us to this point.
See? The folks who have worked hard to bring us two season of Stranger Things (with a third coming next summer) know what they're doing. Shawn Levy makes a great point in his talk with The Playlist when he reveals the team strategy for handling fan expectations and theories regarding the creepy goings on in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Basically, Levy and Matt and Ross Duffer feel they need to remain confident in the instincts that have led them to create and execute the show so far, and believe that letting fan ideas about what should or could happen take root in their minds could lead to them derailing the show that people clearly enjoy as they have it planned.
Obviously, no matter what your thoughts on how a wide variety of situations have turned out for the denizens of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy and their team of writers have their own ideas for how things need to go on the supernatural series, and we should all be glad of that. Sure, you may have wanted Barb to live, or Bob to be a traitor or for Dart to somehow survive and not still be a dangerous, cat-eating interdimensional being who could never be fully trusted, but that simply wasn't in the plan. And, really, do you want a show of any type where the only things that happen are those that you predict will happen? What fun would it be to, instead of occasionally getting plot twists right, you got all of them right? Who truly enjoys a show with absolutely no surprises?
Shawn Levy and the Duffers clearly can't stop the fans from pushing certain theories, and they likely wouldn't want to, anyway. If people who watch the Netflix hit are invested enough to spend their free time coming up with ideas about why everything is going down like it is, that's means they'll keep watching. But, those who enjoy Stranger Things should be aware that while they may hit on the truth of a situation every now and then, the team behind the show isn't mining their ideas for what to do next, and, that's a very good thing.
Stranger Things Season 3 will hit Netflix during the summer of 2019, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for details on that release date. For what to watch in the meantime, check out our fall premiere guide.
