Netflix's 2-Part 'Stranger Things Meets X-Men' Series Is One Of Its Best Fantasy Shows

Published Sep 15, 2026, 6:59 PM EDT Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Although Netflix’s blend of Stranger Things and X-Men is a massive mainstream hit for the streaming service, this show’s success could spell curtains for another high-profile streaming show that’s on the way soon. There is no shortage of Stranger Things replacements out there, from violent, brutal R-rated horror shows like It: Welcome to Derry to family-friendly kid’s movies like KPop Demon Hunters. For anyone unfamiliar with Stranger Things, this might seem confusing. However, the original show’s slow tonal shift makes sense of the diverse array of shows that are offered up as Stranger Things substitutes. In its first two seasons, Stranger Things was a dark, gritty series that featured brutal violence, appalling bullying, and a high body count. However, as the series progressed, its tone shifted significantly, with season 5 being more of an upbeat action adventure story than a sci-fi horror. The spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 took this further, turning the franchise into a PG-rated cartoon. Within this context, it makes sense that numerous supposed Stranger Things replacements are aimed at children, while others are wholly unsuitable for family viewing. However, throughout the entire Stranger Things franchise, one theme remains a constant. The series was always a coming-of-age story, whether it was one aimed at mature adults or young teens. As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Netflix’s smash-hit magic school series Wednesday is another frequently cited Stranger Things substitute. Wednesday Mixes X-Men’s Magic School Story With Stranger Things’ Coming of Age Themes Credit: JONATHAN HESSION/NETFLIX A spinoff of The Addams Family franchise from Sleepy Hollow director Tim Burton, Wednesday stars Jenna Ortega as the deadpan daughter of the macabre brood. Previously immortalized by Christina Ricci in the 1990s live-action Addams Family movies, Wednesday was always a popular character. However, Netflix’s fantasy series Wednesday turns her into the protagonist for the first time when she is transferred to Nevermore Academy, a gloomy institution filled with outcasts, misfits, and literal monsters. While the show initially focuses on the cynical, standoffish title character’s struggles to connect with classmates and her hilariously oppositional relationship with her relentlessly cheery roommate Enid, Wednesday season 1 gradually turns into a small-town conspiracy thriller. Wednesday’s inherited psychic abilities allow her to investigate who is behind a series of mysterious killings and how they are linked to some dark, hidden local history, mixing an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery into the show’s coming-of-age hijinks. Taking place in a school full of magical misfits, Wednesday naturally attracted comparisons to the X-Men franchise. However, the show leans harder into fantasy tropes than sci-fi plot elements, and feels less like a superhero series than a magic school show. As a result, Wednesday’s massive success on Netflix could spell trouble for another upcoming streaming release. Wednesday’s Success Could Be A Problem For One Upcoming Streaming Series Image courtesy of Everett Collection While Wednesday’s small town conspiracy story, its misfit teenage antiheroes, and its supernatural coming-of-age story all make the show a good Stranger Things substitute, comparisons with the Harry Potter franchise are also unavoidable. This could be bad news for HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter reboot series, which lacks the novelty of the Netflix show when it comes to storytelling. While Wednesday tells an original story, HBO’s Harry Potter show is set to adapt the books that were already turned into faithful live-action movies in the early 2000s. Like the upcoming Brandon Sanderson series The Stormlight Archive, Wednesday offers viewers a storyline that hasn’t been seen onscreen before, even though there were other unrelated adaptations of The Addams Family in earlier decades. In contrast, HBO’s Harry Potter show can only offer the same familiar magic school story that viewers have already seen. Thus, Netflix’s Stranger Things replacement Wednesday succesfully revitalizing the magic school trope earlier and more originally could prove a huge problem for the upcoming HBO show. Release Date November 23, 2022 Network Netflix Showrunner Miles Millar, Alfred Gough Cast Wednesday Addams / Goody Addams Directors Tim Burton, James Marshall Writers April Blair Franchise(s) The Addams Family Creator(s) Miles Millar, Alfred Gough