Eleven’s Netflix Stranger Things Return This Fall Teases New Monster & Vecna Connection

Published Sep 8, 2026, 4:59 PM EDT Jordan is the Senior Editor for Movies & TV News at Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies. An editor, writer, and digital media specialist based in New York City, you can also find her bylines on Business Insider. Jordan originally hails from Washington State, giving her an undying loyalty to any Seattle sports team, though she's also spent time in Virginia, Oregon, and New Orleans. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having seen every film on AFI's 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner. Netflix's next Stranger Things release is dropping some mysterious hints about Vecna's story involvement. After success on the streaming service in April, Netflix quickly renewed Stranger Things: Tales from '85 for season 2 in April. The animated series takes place between the second and third seasons of the flagship show, bringing back original Stranger Things characters like Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Will, Dustin, and Max for more misadventures and battles with creatures from the Upside Down. Just a few months after being ordered, Tales from '85 season 2 is already gearing up for its release on Netflix on September 17, 2026. Following the unveiling of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2's teaser trailer, series showrunner and co-creator Eric Robles has kept the momentum alive by gradually confirming the new installment's episode titles. On September 7 and 8, Robles revealed the titles for Tales from '85 season 2 episodes 6 and 7 via Instagram, with both giving some important clues to the creatures that the Party will face in their next adventure. Episode 6 will be titled "The Lich," with episode 7 being titled "The Golem." As was the case for the original Stranger Things show, the new episode title reveals have led to a slew of theories about the plot for these entries in Tales from '85 season 2. In Dungeons & Dragons, which has served as the influence for the names for the majority of Stranger Things' monsters, a lich is a powerful, undead spellcaster, using magic to defy death. Within the game's lore, Vecna is among the most famous liches, leading to speculation that episode 6's title is a reference to Stranger Things' villainous Vecna. Of course, since Jamie Campbell Bower's Vecna wasn't introduced in Hawkins on-screen until Stranger Things season 4, it's unlikely the character himself will appear in Netflix's returning prequel series. However, with the show later revealing Vecna's behind-the-scenes role in many of the earlier seasons' monster twists, Tales from '85 could be setting up some more breadcrumbs for his arrival a few years later in the Stranger Things timeline. Meanwhile, episode 7's title, "The Golem," hints at Stranger Things' returning characters going up against a new monster not seen in the original show. In Jewish folklore, a golem is generally a clay creature magically brought to life as a protector. In Dungeons & Dragons' mythology, golems are magically created from clay, stone, iron, or human flesh, with the wizards who created them having control over creatures, potentially teasing a link between the titular golem and lich in Tales from '85. Robles has also already revealed the previous five titles for season 2, with the remaining three labels for Tales from '85's sophomore season episodes expected to be confirmed over the next few days. So far, the season 2 episode titles hint at some other locations and dark supernatural events: Chapter 1: "A Haunting in Hawkins" Chapter 2: "The Mine" Chapter 3: "The Curse of Bloodaxe Bill" Chapter 4: "The Séance" Chapter 5: "Split the Party" Chapter 6: "The Lich" Chapter 7: "The Golem" Chapter 8: TBA Chapter 9: TBA Chapter 10: TBA After season 1 took place throughout January 1985, season 2 picks up immediately after in February 1985. Currently, Netflix has yet to announce whether Stranger Things: Tales from '85 will return for season 3. All 10 episodes of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 will be released on Netflix on September 17, 2026. Release Date April 23, 2026 Network Netflix Showrunner Eric Robles Cast Brooklyn Davey Norstedt Eleven (voice) Jolie Hoang-Rappaport Max (voice) Directors Phil Allora, JJ Conway, Ben Choi Writers ChatGPT, Dan Milano, Ray Utarnachitt, Jennifer Muro, Chad Quandt, Chris Wyatt, Kevin Burke, Jen Bardekoff, Joshua Pruett Franchise(s) Stranger Things Creator(s) Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Eric Robles Stranger Things: Tales from '85