Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure already looks really exciting, even with so few details given away about the prequel's premise in the recent announcement trailer. However, the franchise's first spinoff not set in Hawkins looks like it isn't hanging around when it comes to overhauling a central piece of worldbuilding.
The concept of the Upside Down is something that has permeated Stranger Things since the original series dropped on Netflix in 2016. Season 5 totally recontextualized the version of Hawkins that had been turned on its head by revealing its true nature.
Rather than being a different dimension all of its own, the Upside Down turned out to be a wormhole, with the other end leading to what is essentially an alien world called the Abyss. The planet was unveiled as the true home of iconic Stranger Things monsters like the Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer, who would use the Upside Down to travel from the Abyss to Earth.
The game-changing twist transformed Stranger Things lore as we know it, gently turning the series into a pseudo-space opera rather than some sort of sci-fi-fueled supernatural horror. Other Worlds, from the sound of the title, sounds like it will continue to double down on this, and while doing so, seems to be putting a cool new spin on the Upside Down.
Other Worlds is already implying how the Upside Down will change
The way the various world-building efforts in Stranger Things are referenced is via the Party's obsession with Dungeons & Dragons. All the names of key villains and settings are taken from the beloved tabletop RPG. Even the name of the Upside Down itself is just a nod to the show's main characters flipping the D&D board to help visualize the mysterious location.
Set 30 years before Stranger Things, and in the state of Nevada rather than Indiana, Other Worlds won't be able to borrow any of this lexicon. It wouldn't make any sense. Instead, the prequel's characters will need to come up with new ways of referring to the various phenomena and threats. So, what will they call the Upside Down when another wormhole inevitably forms?
That hasn't been revealed yet, but the teaser gives us a big clue. In short, calling it the Upside Down wouldn't just be illogical because Other Worlds is a prequel set elsewhere, but also because it may be nonsensical to do so. I don't think the town of Marion, Nevada, will get flipped upside down at all. It's far more likely to be flipped backwards, like a mirror image.
At the end of the Other Worlds teaser, the release date of "2028" compellingly flickers so that it's backwards, rather than upside down. This feels like a compelling and cryptic way of telling us exactly what will happen to the duplicated Marion inside the wormhole that will surely come along and connect the town to another planet, like Hawkins was to the Abyss.
As such, it could be more accurate to call Other Worlds' version of the Upside Down something like the Back-to-Front, or Reverse Marion. Exactly how this change could have an impact on the story is unclear at this point, but if true, it would be a tasteful piece of world-building that establishes the fact that wormholes connecting Earth to other planets don't always have the exact same impact on the town they duplicate.
Other Worlds could have more than one Upside Down
The clue is in the name: Other Worlds. While it was a surprise to learn in Stranger Things season 5 that the Upside Down is more of a temporary bridge rather than the end of the line, that is already known going into Other Worlds – at least by the audience. As such, the focus must be on exploring these other settings so that the lore continues to expand.
Assuming this is true for a second, then it stands to reason that each wormhole to each new location will look and feel slightly different. The Upside Down lived up its name, and maybe the wormhole connecting Marion to another world will showcase a back-to-front version of the Indiana town instead. Other wormholes could be similarly unique, such as one turning its duplicate town on its side, or something like that. It's speculation at this point, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the Duffer Brothers have in store.
Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure will land on Netflix in 2028.
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