Stranger Things season 4 might be getting a little influence from the X-Men. The title of the first episode has been revealed and it references the Hellfire Club. The Duffer Brothers are currently hard at work on the upcoming season, which was recently announced by Netflix. Fans of the hit series have a lot of questions after the end of season 3, which means that the forthcoming season should hold the key to most of these mysteries, including what happened to David Harbour's Chief Hopper.
The first episode of Stanger Things season 4 is Chapter One: The Hellfire Club. In the X-Men comics, the Hellfire Club is a group of villains that the heroic team often fought against. Some of these villains have even made it to the big screen in X-Men: First Class and The Gifted. As for why the Duffer Brothers are referencing the Marvel Comics villains is unclear at the moment, but it could have to do with the new teenage cast members that the creative team is currently looking for.
In addition to the X-Men reference in the first episode's title, Stranger Things is branching out with its influences for season 4. The official Twitter account for the show's writers has started a new feature where it talks about 5 movies a week that will have some kind of influence on the new episodes. The weekly feature is called Video Store Fridays. Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey has been included in this list, along with The Peanut Butter Solution, The Fisher King, You've Got Mail, Ordinary People, Amelie, Paradise Lost, Pineapple Express, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Drop Dead Fred.
Looking at the Video Store Fridays list gives some insight into how the Duffer Brothers are approaching Season 4, which promises to introduce new Stranger Things characters. As for how these movies will factor into the main storyline is unclear at the moment, but these lists will probably make more sense when season 4 debuts. Speaking of which, we have yet to get a premiere date from Netflix. Production is set to start next year and will wrap by August 2020 and there will be 8 Stranger Things Season 4 episodes, just like the previous season and the first season.
The Duffer Brothers are taking in a wide variety of influences for Stranger Things season 4. It will be interesting to see how, or if, the X-Men reference even sticks to the premiere episode or how Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey will come into play. Regardless, the Video Store Fridays may be able to turn some younger fans on to movies they have yet to see, which could end up making watching season 4 even more rewarding on a different level. The Duffer Brothers will more than likely keep us updated as to the names of the new episodes as they finish them. You can check out the first episode announcement below, thanks to the Stranger Things Instagram account.