As long of a time as it may feel for fans since they last saw new Stranger Things content, I'm sure many remember exactly how they felt in Season 3 when they thought Sheriff Hopper died. Of course, there was a healthy dose of skepticism that the Netflix original killed off star David Harbour, and sure enough, fans were eventually let in on the secret that he survived.
Surprisingly, the actors of Stranger Things were in the same boat and were apparently not told outright what Hopper's fate would be. Dustin actor Gaten Matarazzo shared with Us Weekly how he and the others felt when they learned the news and when they finally confirmed David Harbour would be back.
I guess most of the cast had a pretty good idea that he might be making a return, but they weren’t too sure about it from the beginning. By the time we had gotten to the table read [and] we had all started reading together, it had been pretty clear. But it was great to have it confirmed when we saw David there.
It sounds like the cast of Stranger Things would've been just as bummed out as fans if Hopper was really gone, but that didn't happen. Hopper is back for Stranger Things Season 4, and as excited as the cast may be to see him back, it's looking like he may spend at least some time separated from them. A teaser for Season 4 revealed that while Hopper survived the effort to re-close the Upside Down, he somehow ended up being held as a prisoner halfway across the world in Russia.
We don't know how Hopper got there, but David Harbour has teased Season 4 will feature a good deal of Hopper's backstory that will give fans insight into who he is. Harbour also teased a transformation for Hopper after his "resurrection," if one can call it that, and how his life has changed since his capture by the Russians. I would assume things aren't exactly going well for Hopper outside of Indiana, but that's just a hunch based on past experience of working in the snow with a buzz cut.
Things aren't looking good for Hopper, but based on Gaten Matarazzo describing Season 4 as the "scariest" Stranger Things has done, it sounds like things could be rather dark all around. It's doubly bad then that Season 3 ended with the kids being split up, which will make any Upside Down threat to come that much harder to face. Hopefully, they can pull it all together, and maybe even have time to pull Hopper out of his prison camp. Provided Hopper can't do that himself, which I have no doubt he could pull off.
Stranger Things Season 4 doesn't have an official release date as of yet, but it's expected to arrive in 2021. For more on Season 4, read up on the surprising character who will apparently return for the upcoming season.
