Steve (Joe Keery) was supposed to die in Stranger Things season 1

Stranger Things Season 4 is off to a wild and frightening start, and the fact that we still have two episodes left is exciting. For those of you who have not watched Volume 1 of Season 4 yet, I’d advise you to come back and read this article after you have.

The first seven episodes of Stranger Things 4 take us on a wild ride through Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) backstory. While the episodes are a slow burn, the payoff is worth it. The last two episodes of season 4 will presumably dive into that intense cliffhanger involving Vecna.

During Netflix’s Geeked Week 2022, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer spoke about what lies ahead, and some roads not taken in the past.

Steve was originally going to die in Stranger Things season 1

The Duffer Brothers shared that while other shows have a big master plan for exactly how things are going to play out over the course of the series, they did things a bit differently. Apparently, they only had the first season worked out!

“[Netflix] asked us to walk them through the mythology,” Ross Duffer said. “So we talked to our writers about the Upside Down and that is most of what we’re talking about now [in season 4]. The big beats were there.”

These major moments have been sprinkled across all the seasons and ultimately led us to the confrontation between Eleven and Vecna. There’s still much more left to come; we won’t get some of the answers until the fifth and final season, but they’re planting the seeds now.

The Duffer Brothers’ approach to Stranger Things has changed over the course of the series. One example of this, as the Duffer Brothers shared, is that Steve (Joe Keery) was supposed to die back in Season 1.

Honestly, I feel like Steve will die before the series comes to an end. As for when Steve was supposed to die in season 1? Well, the Duffer Brothers didn’t share the exact moment but Matt Duffer did reveal this: “When he comes back and fights the Demogorgon, that was supposed to be Jonathan’s dad.” Instead, it was Steve who ended up fighting the Demogorgon!

Anyway, Steve ended up being a likable character; the Duffers kept him around in part because of Joe Keery’s performance. “You’re learning what works and what doesn’t work,” said Matt. “The cast is impacting where you take the narrative, the other writers and directors…it’s this living thing.”

That said, they’re not just making things up on a fly. There is always some sort of rough plan in place at all times. It’s just that some moments inform how the story will move forward, and tweaks are made when it makes sense to make them.

Whatever adjustments have been made thus far have worked in the show’s favor because Stranger Things has been a resounding success. Fans are ecstatic to see how this fourth chapter comes to an end! We’ll all find out when the final two episodes drop on Netflix on July 1.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime, and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t Rotten Tomatoes