In its last four seasons on Netflix, stranger things took place in the 1980s, with walkmans and roller skates and so much Dungeons & Dragons. But those aren’t the only ’80s relics featured on the show.
Since season 1, stranger things hosted memorable actors and guest stars from popular 80s movies and shows. From its star winona ryder to a guest appearance from Robert Englund, the show continues to pay homage to the 80s in the form of familiar faces, and there are so many more who could show up.
Metallic played a major role in season 4 when fan favorite Eddie Munson played “Master of Puppets” on his electric guitar to ward off bats from Vecna’s lair while upside down .
Since the episode aired, Eddie’s portrait painter joseph quinn and Metallica became popular in the stranger things fandom, the two stars even met at 2022’s Lollapalooza. But while Eddie didn’t survive the season 4 finale, the way the band has shown their support for the show since using their song could lead to an ultimate appearance in Season 5.
Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio is considered a king of 80s movies, best known for his starring role as Daniel LaRusso in the beloved trilogy The Karate Kid. But since 2018, Macchio reprized his iconic role in the film’s spin-off. Cobra Kai.
After Cobra Kai merged from YouTube Red to Netflix in 2020, it turned Macchio and his fellow cast members into Netflix icons, much like the stranger things cast. With Cobra Kaikicks off its fifth season on the streaming service with stranger thingsa cross between The Byers and The LaRussos would be epic.
Heather Langenkamp
Heather Langenkamp was the first victim of slasher villain Freddy Krueger in 1984 Freddie, later reprising her role as Nancy in the third film, where her memorable character was ultimately killed off by Freddy.
After Robert Englund’s guest stint in Season 4 as Victor Creel, a guest appearance by Englund’s famed co-star would delight ’80s lovers, especially when stranger things is home to its own Nancy, played by Natalia Dyer.
Stephen King
When it comes to horror in the 80s, Stephen King is a literal king. Of the brilliant at Christina at Fire starter, the author never stopped churning out epic horror novels that often turned into box office hits.
Although the novel THIS was released in 1986 and wasn’t made into a miniseries until 1990, it was the 2017 remake that provided the ultimate reason for King to appear on Strange things. Apart from the movie and the Netflix show having similar storylines, the two works also play Finn Wolfhard, which would make for an exciting reunion.
Kane Hoder
After Freddy Krueger’s portrayer, Robert Englund, starred in season 4, it would only be fair for the more famous portrayer of Jason Voorhees, Freddy’s nemesis. Kane Hoder follow in his footsteps in Season 5.
Although he wasn’t the first Jason, Hodder first took on the role of villain in 1988’s Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and later shared the screen with Englund in the 2003 crossover film Freddy versus Jason,this time as a stuntman for Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.
Molly Ringwald
When it comes to 80s icons, Molly Ringwald definitely top of the list. The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink – and that’s just to name a few.
In recent years, Ringwald has spent time on another teen drama, riverdale, playing Archie’s mother alongside other 80s stars. With the way she appears on popular 80s-related TV shows, it wouldn’t be hard for her to appear on Strange things.
Steven Spielberg
Back to the Future, Jaws, Gremlins, ET – if you like a movie from the 80s, it was probably directed or produced by Steven Spielberg. It would be entirely appropriate to include a Spielberg cameo in strange things, but The Duffer Brothers may just have another exciting reason.
As Collider reported in 2021, Spielberg is teaming up with the Duffer Brothers to adapt Stephen King’s free fall in an upcoming series for Netflix, so why not put Spielberg on stranger things (and King too, while they’re at it!)?
Anyone from ‘Star Wars’
Considering the way stranger things has always been full of star wars references since season 1, he’s just that one star wars phenomenon thanks Hawkins before the show ended, especially after all the ways the sci-fi saga inspired the Netflix show.
As the Duffer Brothers said Collider from the season 4 finale, “We always wanted to do a The Empire Strikes Backend.” Matt Duffer continued, “What we tried to do with Season 4. Where is the feeling of loss.”
Kate Bush
Probably the most obvious and desired 80s icon that fans would love to see an appearance in is the “Running Up That Hill” singer herself, Kate Bush.
After how Bush’s success in 1985 often helped save Max’s life whenever she found herself victimized by Vecna in Upside Down, a reunion between Max and Bush would be iconic – if Max ever woke up from his coma, that is.