The wait for the full Stranger Things Season 4 trailer is finally over, and with three minutes of nonstop action, I'm willing to say it was worth the wait. It's been nearly three years since fans took a trip to Hawkins, Indiana to catch up with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will (Noah Schnapp), and the rest of their adventuring party. Netflix and the Stranger Things team have tried to ease the long hiatus in the recent months with a teaser trailer, four epic posters, and some exciting images from the upcoming episodes. However, today's trailer has finally given us our first full-scope look at the new season, in all its upside down glory.
It's been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, and our heroes have scattered to the winds — some for their own safety and some against their will. With the adventuring party separated for the first time, we find each of them trying to move on with their lives to varying degrees of success. It looks like Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) may have some newfound popularity as a member of the basketball team, while Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) have joined the Hellfire Club — an advanced Dungeons and Dragons game at Hawkins High. Max (Sadie Sink) is still struggling with her own grief over Billy's death, and Will and Eleven find themselves struggling to fit in all the way across the country.
As the heart pounding strains of an epic trailer remix of Journey's "Separate Ways" filter in, we get a closer look at Hopper (David Harbour), detained in a Russian prison fighting for his life, Joyce (Winona Ryder) getting a mysterious package from the other side of the world, and Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) exploring unknown parts of Hawkins. The new trailer also tees up an absolutely insane battle of The Upside Down versus, well, the right side up. Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) arrives in California without an ounce of subtlety to let Eleven know that a war is coming, and he doesn't think that they can win it without her. However, Eleven reveals that she still hasn't gotten her powers back after losing them at the end of last season.
With flashbacks to El's past, the introduction of what looks like demo-bats, and almost everyone taking a trip to The Upside Down, Stranger Things Season 4 looks to be the series' most expansive and heart racing set of episodes yet. The trailer teases new threats around almost every corner with our heroes facing trouble across the whole world, not just Hawkins. And Jopper fans, there's hope for us yet — it looks like Joyce is leading the charge to rescue Hopper! We also get a chilling glimpse at Season 4's final boss. With an incredible soundtrack, plenty of references to 1980's pop culture, and shots that require fans to go frame by frame to catch it all, this trailer is not to be missed.
Stranger Things Season 4 also stars Charlie Heaton, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Cara Buono, and Matthew Modine, with horror icon Robert Englund appearing in an unknown role (though those with a careful eye may catch him in the new trailer) and a massive supporting cast. Season 4 will feature episodes directed by The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy, and Nimród Antal, with the Duffer Brothers, Caitlin Schneiderhan, Paul Dichter, Kate Trefry, and Curtis Gwinn serving as writers. Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 returns on May 27 and Volume 2 hits Netflix later this summer on July 1.
In the meantime, you can watch the new trailer down below: