WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 3 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
Stranger Things season 3, which launched on Netflix last July 4, has done the unthinkable and killed off a very important character in the series. Chief Hopper (played by David Harbour) vanished after fighting with a Russian machine in the season finale but is there any possibility for the character to return in season 4?
Some viewers feel certain that Hopper has died in Stranger Things season 3. His emotional letter to Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown), where he opened up his feelings for his adopted daughter, seemed like the perfect way for the character to exit the show.
However, there was a post-credit scene at the finale of Stranger Things season 3, which hinted that Hopper might not be permanently gone. It's possible that the chief might have traveled to a different location -- perhaps in the Upside Down -- because of that Russian machine. One of the Russian guards even said that they have an American as a prisoner.
According to TV Guide, Hopper could still be very much alive and return to Indiana in Stranger Things season 4, especially after Harbour spoke about time travel in a previous interview.
"The great thing is, I'm fascinated by what the hell the Upside Down is. I know a lot of things about Stranger Things, but I don't know what the Upside Down is," the actor said. "But people have speculated online that it may be the future or it may be the past or it may have some time component. I love time travel movies. I would love to see time travel in it."
The actor, however, was more coy about his character's "death" in a recent interview with E! News. He said that things have to change for the show, which can be painful but also wonderful.
Meanwhile, aside from Hopper's return, there are many ways Stranger Things season 4 could go based on what happened in the third season. For instance, Eleven lost her powers after the Mind Flayer bit her but could she gain her ability back next season?
Joyce (played by Winona Ryder) and Hopper seemed to have formed a deeper bond, which hints of a possibility of romance. Billy (played by Dacre Montgomery) sacrificed himself for Eleven's sake and became the face of the Flayer, and there's still more to discover from this monster.
Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy confirmed via Collider in 2018 that the show will be back for season 4 on Netflix. There's also a possibility that the series will have its fifth and final season, but that installment is still up for discussion.
