In the run-up to Stranger Things Day and the beginning of Geeked Week, Netflix unveiled a featurette for its upcoming stage play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The play is a prequel to the popular series, set in 1959 and featuring fan-favorite characters such as Joyce, Hopper, and Bob. The storyline is said to involve a high school romance between Henry Creel (who later becomes One, who then becomes Vecna) and Patty Newby, the sister of beloved Season 2 character Bob Newby. This romantic link could shed new light on the tragic narrative of Bob Newby, who dies in Season 2.

The First Shadow also explores the origins of the Upside Down and the character of Dr. Brenner. Revealed as key to the Upside Down lore, Henry Creel's powers are yet to be fully detailed, but he can access the Upside Down's hive mind, commanding its creatures and consuming the consciousness of its victims. Connections are being made between Bob Newby's victimhood and his sister's past relationship with Creel.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, set to premiere in the Phoenix Theater in London on November 17, may indicate what is to come in Season 5. However, fans may not see the final season for some time due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.