Movies - TV
Stranger Things Season 4 Was Inspired By A Very Specific Star Wars Film
By ERIC VESPE
If one is a “Star Wars” fan and also watches “Stranger Things,” they’ve probably noticed the various “Star Wars” Easter eggs that have been sprinkled throughout the series. For Season 4, however, the actual storyline structure is heavily influenced by “The Empire Strikes Back,” with the good guys losing against the bad guys, but coming out of it alive.
In an interview, co-showrunner Matt Duffer admitted to the “Empire” influence, saying that he and his brother Ross “always wanted our Empire Strikes Back season.” While there was “sacrifice” in Season 3, the heroes were able to win against evil, whereas in Season 4, Duffer “wanted them to actually lose. And so we wanted our characters to experience what that felt like.”
The characters experience this defeat against Vecna, and Duffer explained that their loss laid the foundation for what will happen in the final season. He stated, “[We set] our characters up for war. What is gonna be the ultimate final confrontation with Vecna, with the Upside Down, which is gonna be Season 5."