Netflix subscribers have been downright rabid about getting new updates about Stranger Things Season 4, and many expected a trailer or some more new footage to come out of the streaming service's ongoing Geeked Week promotion. No such things happened, sadly - at least not yet - but there was the big reveal of four new characters heading to Hawkins, Indiana for the new episodes, and one of them will be played by former Anne with an E star Amybeth McNulty.
Here's a quick rundown of all the new characters, their actors, and descriptions of what each character will bring to Stranger Things' new season.
Vickie (Amybeth McNulty): a cool, fast-talking band nerd who catches the eye of one of our beloved heroes.Chrissy (Grace Van Dien): Hawkins’ High lead cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. But beneath the seemingly perfect surface lies a dark secret.Patrick (Myles Truitt): a Hawkins basketball star who has friends, talent, and a good life...until shocking events send his life spiraling out of control.Ms. Kelly (Regina Ting Chen): a popular guidance counselor who cares deeply for her students—especially those struggling the most.
First off, it's a solid move to slot up-and-coming star Amybeth McNulty into the Stranger Things-verse, considering how large and dedicated a fandom she built up through her excellent work on Netflix's Anne with an E, whose unexpected cancellation ended up sparking many fan-based petitions for more. And the fact that she'll be playing a band nerd love interest to one of the core crew is just icing on the cake. I'm assuming her wardrobe will change up just a bit from the historical drama.
Similarly, I'm pumped to see The Binge and The Village star Grace Van Dien's arrival as Chrissy. Head cheerleaders are always a lightning rod for trouble, and it sounds like Chrissy will be the supplier rather than a victim. Though I suppose her dark history could refer to bad things being done to her.
Myles Truitt has made waves in the past couple of years with roles on Queen Sugar and Black Lightning, and now he'll break through to the mega-zeitgeist on Stranger Things as a popular and skilled basketball player. Of course, the more interesting element is that he'll get dragged into the main plotline in some way. Sight unseen, he already sounds too cool for the show's growing group of core characters, so perhaps he'll unwittingly get thrown in with the others due to whatever mysterious events take place.
Finally, we have Queen of the Damned and Black Lightning's Regina Ting Chen, the lone casting addition that lands on the more adult side of the spectrum, not that she isn't also popular. The question here is how far Ms. Kelly's caregiving goes when it comes to her students. Is she so dedicated that she'll join the fight against all things from the Upside Down?
So while we're still unsure of when Season 4 will arrive on Netflix, it likely won't be until next year. But take comfort in knowing that the Duffer brothers are hard at work putting it together, and also know that there's lot of other awesome shows debuting earlier throughout the 2021 Summer TV season.
