Despite it very much seeming like a standalone franchise (and it still pretty much is), the cast of characters from Stranger Things has crossed over quite a few times with other series outside their own show. They’ve had a Fortnite crossover, entered the Dead by Daylight universe, and they’ve even crossed over with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a recent comic book event, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Stranger Things (2023).
Though all of these crossovers are universally considered non-canon, it’s still so much fun to see these kiddos cross over with other worlds, as their story is fundamentally built on universe-hopping and wild monsters from said universe. Now that Stranger Things is over, that doesn’t mean the hype has to die, and the companies behind the franchise have the chance to keep it going via other series crossovers in the future—also most likely non-canon, but who cares? They’re fun regardless.
1
‘Artemis Fowl’ (2020)
Aside from the fact that the movie from 2020 was horrible and very poorly received, the Artemis Fowl book series is extremely beloved and successful. While many may not think so at first glance, Artemis Fowl is quite similar to Stranger Things in premise, given the fact that they’re both based on children facing off against mythical monsters beyond their own skill level.
It would be so much fun to see a little crossover where the Stranger Things kids find themselves meeting Artemis to face either a whole new type of foe—not from The Upside Down—or the young agent could come help them with the likes of a Demogorgon. It would be a lot of fun to see the goofy kids of Hawkins meet the more serious and clinical Artemis Fowl. This would probably be better as a book, though, leaving the movie universe alone—no one wants to see more of that.
2
‘The Goonies’ (1985)
With how much inspiration that Stranger Things takes from the 1985 film, The Goonies, a crossover feels like it would be a match made in heaven. The characters all feel like perfect matches for each other. While it’s hard to figure out how they would manage a crossover, it would be so much fun to watch, regardless.
This would also be a good way for the Stranger Things brand to pay tribute to the Richard Donner movie because of how much it impacted the creation of the Netflix hit sensation. It owes so much to the ’80s classic that bringing the film’s characters back for a story of some sort, to remind people what made the show possible, would be a perfect way to honor it.
3
‘Batman’ (1966–1968)
Not only is DC Comics’ Caped Crusader known as The World’s Greatest Detective, but he’s no stranger to fighting monsters, either. Imagine the one and only Batman finding his way to the Stranger Things universe and helping the kids, teens, or adults uncover a mystery, as the mystery genre is a big aspect of the television series, as the cast tries to uncover the secrets of The Upside Down.
Batman himself has also crossed over with countless characters—borderline the superhero who has crossed over with the most—like Scooby-Doo (many times), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2015)), and so many more. It would not be too out of the ballpark to have him make his way to Hawkins somehow. Maybe a villain of his is even trying to utilize The Upside Down in some way…?
4
‘The Umbrella Academy’ (2019–2024)
One of the founding cornerstone themes of Stranger Things is family. Sticking together no matter what—differences aside. Another series—also on Netflix—that has the same foundations is none other than The Umbrella Academy. They, too, are a dysfunctional family that loves each other no matter what, for the most part.
The characters of The Umbrella Academy wanting to investigate the events and creatures spawning from The Upside Down would be a perfect chance to have a crossover, especially given the time-travel powers at play in the 2019 series. Not to mention, the kids would think the powers that The Umbrella Academy characters have are awesome.
5
‘The Witcher’ (2019–)
Another 2019 Netflix show that would have a wonderful crossover with Stranger Things is the likes of The Witcher. The main character of the series, Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth), is an expert at hunting terrifying monsters, meaning it would make sense for him to want to tussle with some Demogorgons, or even Vecna himself (Jamie Campbell Bower). The only thing that might make this crossover hard is the fact that Geralt might be able to slay the monsters of The Upside Down too easily.
The man, the myth, the legend, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) proved in Season 4 that weapons like swords are quite effective against Demogorgons, when he was a total badass, taking one out by beheading it with a sword in Russia. This means that, in order to help the cast of Stranger Things, Geralt could make quick work of some Demogorgons. Plus, the kids would absolutely geek over this badass monster slayer.
6
‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ (2018–2020)
Stranger Things has monsters, alternate universes, and even a self-proclaimed “sorcerer” and “mage”. But what if the show got involved with a witch the same age as most of the main cast? This is where a crossover with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina would come into play. Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) would bring a good dynamic to the cast, and her powers, paired with Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown), would result in some great action scenes.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina may not be everything it could have been, but it’s still a pretty entertaining series. The vibe of the show would also match very well with that of Stranger Things‘. Having a crossover with another character with powers who could team up with Eleven is such an interesting opportunity that should not be passed up. Sabrina has been out of the public eye for a little bit now, too, so this could be a great chance to bring her back into the spotlight.
7
‘Wednesday’ (2022–)
If there’s someone who can get very invested in a supernatural mystery, it’s none other than Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega). On top of that, though, her super popular Netflix series, Wednesday, is also a comedy, which is a huge part of Stranger Things, too. Despite definitely being considered a sci-fi adventure series, there’s quite a bit of comedy within it, too.
To make things easier, Wednesday is yet another series on Netflix, meaning rights issues shouldn’t be any problem. Wednesday would fit in with the group so hilariously, being a great antithesis to the goofier vibe of the kids. She’d be extremely essential, however, thanks to her excellent detective abilities depicted in her show’s two seasons. It’s commonly considered to be everything that Chilling Adventures of Sabrina should have been, and it shows.
8
‘Supernatural’ (2005–2020)
Another few characters who are quite talented at hunting down supernatural beings are the protagonists from, well, Supernatural. The Winchester brothers are some of the most beloved supernatural hunters on television, making them perfect for a crossover with the Stranger Things crew. Especially given the humor traded between the two brothers, which would fit well with the kind of humor that occurs within the cast of Netflix’s biggest hit.
They have even crossed over with the Scooby Gang in Supernatural Season 13, Episode 16, “Scoobynatural”. Supernatural also has a plethora of fans, which is proven by the fact that the show ran for a gigantic 15 seasons. Fans of both series would freak out, and they certainly would make this crossover a huge success for both franchises.
9
‘Nancy Drew’ (2019–2023)
Stranger Things isn’t the only franchise that has a mystery-solving badass named Nancy (Natalia Dyer). Nancy Drew has been out on the field, doing crazy work, since 1930, around 90 years ago. In a way, Nancy Drew kind of serves as the blueprint for Nancy Wheeler. Now, imagine these two gals coming together to solve a case, most likely of the monstrous kind.
Nancy Wheeler even recently got a Nancy Drew-like book in the form of
10
‘Scooby-Doo’ (2002)
If there’s a franchise that is an expert at crossing over with other franchises, it’s the Scooby-Doo franchise. They’ve had so many crossovers that it feels like it’s uncountable. Honestly, it’s beyond surprising that this hasn’t happened yet, especially with the comparison of Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Nancy, Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) to the Scooby Gang.
Maya Hawke even pitched the idea of a Scooby-Doo project, but starring Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan. It feels like a no-brainer at this point. The conflicts within Stranger Things also simply feel right up the Scooby Gang’s alley, given all the supernatural monsters, ghosts, and ghouls they’ve encountered over the years.
Scooby-Doo
- Release Date
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June 14, 2002
- Runtime
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87 minutes
