Although a Dustin and Steve-centric series is one of the most popular Stranger Things spinoff ideas, series star Gaten Matarazzo is right about the show’s potential. Even though Stranger Things season 4 hasn’t even arrived on Netflix yet, fans of the hit show are already speculating about its potential for spinoffs. The show is rumored to come to a close after season 5 ends, but this will not necessarily mean the end of the Stranger Things universe as a whole.
According to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Stranger Things could be in line to receive multiple spinoffs once the series itself reaches its conclusion. This news has inevitably fueled a flurry of online speculation from fans debating which characters and stars deserve a show of their own in the fictional universe. One popular pairing in Stranger Things is Steve and Dustin, although one of the character’s actors is understandably reticent about the prospect of this spinoff.
As Stranger Things increased its scope, the series grew to include an ever bigger cast list and gave supporting stars more screen time with each passing outing. Two big beneficiaries of this were Joe Keery’s redeemed former bully Steve and the lovable comic relief Dustin, who proved an unlikely and unstoppable pair in seasons 2 and 3. Despite the push for the duo to get a show of their own, Dustin’s actor Gaten Matarazzo noted that such a Stranger Things spinoff could have limited potential. Matarazzo said he would approve of a Dustin and Steve series with the caveat of “if they didn’t do a full show of it… there’s like weekly episodes of little hijinks they get into. Every now and again, like a skit show… I don’t know if a Dustin and Steve full spinoff is sustainable.”
The proof can be found in Stranger Things season 3, whose many subplots left little room for character development in their fast-paced, action-heavy storytelling. In that overstuffed season, Dustin and Steve’s comparatively slow-moving plot line stretched the pair’s chemistry with a silly story about Soviet scientists hiding a secret research base in a small-town mall. It was a funny, far-fetched premise and the subplot was a good conduit to establish Robin and Erica but, even with all four comedic characters trying their best, the story wore on too long and it was only one of half a dozen main plots in the season.
The fact that many critics and fans alike wanted Dustin and Steve’s story to tie into the main plot sooner proves that Stranger Things would make a spinoff mistake by centering a full-length show around the duo. There’s no doubt that the fan-favorites have superb chemistry and are an appealing duo, but Matarazzo is right to note that less is more where comedic characters like Dustin and Steve are concerned. Only time will tell whether the creators of Stranger Things take this advice to heart both in spinoffs and upcoming seasons, although viewers will know once season 4 of the Netflix hit arrives later this year.
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