Stranger Things’ upcoming prequel, Tales from ’85, will feature the return of Eleven, but it won’t fix a notable character issue from season 5.

At the beginning of Stranger Things: Tales From '85, Eleven and Max will not be good friends. The narrative takes place between Seasons 2 and 3, when Eleven is still trying to fit in, and Max is a stranger in Hawkins. Thus, their scenes will be mere encounters rather than a developing friendship.

Netflix's new series 'Tales From '85' returns to Hawkins less than four months after the franchise's series finale.

That said, there’s a lot that’s changed, and it isn’t just the fact that everyone is looking a whole lot more cartoony. So with that in mind, let’s break down some of the biggest burning questions about Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, and answer everything we know about the series so far.

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 is thrilling but slightly puzzling for the timeline. It helps to fill in a gap in the timeline that we didn’t get to see before, and it introduces new supernatural events that have some fans wondering how it all comes together.

Netflix’s Stranger Things lore grows with animated prequel Tales From ’85, set between Seasons 2 and 3, arriving in 2026

Tales from ’85' premieres on April 23, 2026. It features familiar characters like Eleven and Dustin, alongside new additions.