Stranger Things creators originally wanted this famous actor to play Hopper

It’s been over a year since new episodes of Stranger Things aired on Netflix and we still don’t have an official release date for season 4. If you’ll recall, the third season finale was a doozy. The main characters teamed up to defeat the Mind Flayer, although it was Hopper’s (David Harbour) sacrifice that ultimately allowed them to close the gate to the Upside Down.

Hopper’s “death scene” was absolutely heartbreaking to watch, especially because he and Joyce (Winona Ryder) had finally acknowledged their feelings for one another. However, we’ve known since last February that Hopper is actually alive and imprisoned somewhere in the Soviet Union. I, for one, cannot wait to see how Hopper’s storyline connects back to the other characters next season.

Hopper is my favorite character on the show largely thanks to David Harbour’s compelling performance. But as it turns out, Harbour wasn’t even the Duffer Brothers’ first choice to play the character!

Who did the Stranger Things creators originally want to play Sheriff Hopper?

Per CBR, the Duffers initially developed Stranger Things as a miniseries called Montauk. Since their concept was initially for a limited series, the pair thought they might be able to get bigger-name actors for the shorter commitment, and considered the likes of Ewan McGregor and Sam Rockwell to play the gruff police chief.

Even though I love McGregor and Rockwell, Stranger Things just wouldn’t be the same without David Harbour. I’m glad things went the way they did. And they ended up getting a big star on the show: Winona Ryder, who’s as or better known than either of those actors.

And now, we continue to wait.

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