Matthew Modine played Eleven’s evil scientist “father” Dr. Brenner. We know he’s still out there, but will he appear in season 4?
Stranger Things has officially returned to set to film its fourth season, and we’re definitely excited. The third season left us with a lot of questions, including a big one about Sheriff Hopper’s (David Harbour) fate. Despite him blowing up at the end of season 3, he’s somehow back, as Netflix itself revealed in the first trailer for season 4, but we don’t yet know how. For all we know, it’s some weird clone of Hopper produced by the Russians.
And Hopper isn’t the only character who seemed to die but may still be kicking. Remember Eleven’s cruel “father,” Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) from season 1, the guy who did all the experiments on her in an attempt to turn her into a psychic weapon? He appeared to die at the end of the first season, mauled by the Demogorgon. But we didn’t actually see a body. Then, in season 2, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) learned that he was actually still alive. Will we see him in season 4?
Speaking to NME, Modine said he is “absolutely” on board. “I love that the fans are trying to figure out where Dr. Brenner is, because we’re all wondering, you know, is he in the Upside Down?” he said. “Did the Demogorgon drag him away? Is he going to re-emerge? And the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, have said that unless you see a body, the character’s not dead. And obviously, we never saw Dr. Brenner’s body.”
It sounds like Modine is waiting by his phone for the Duffers to call. Or perhaps, they already have…
I think bringing Dr. Brenner back for the fourth season would really mix things up. He may even turn out to be the “American” the Russians refer to in the post-credits scene of season 4. And think of the conflict Eleven may go through. She thinks Hopper and Brenner, her two father figures, are out of her life. How will she react to discover that they’re both still around?
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