Stranger Things 'new evil' teased as season 3 plot details roll in: 'We're going to give Will Byers a break'

'We now know what is going to happen in season 3 to every character'

Stranger Things season 3 plot details have begun to trickle in ahead of a production start date this spring.

With new episodes expected to arrive on Netflix either late 2018 or early 2019, the Duffer Brothers and executive producer Shawn Levy have revealed that all the storylines have been put in place for the entire season which has been fully mapped out.

“We're there,” Levy told Glamour, confirming the episode count as “eight or nine.” The producer added: “The number of episodes will be dictated by the amount of story that excites us. We now know what is going to happen in season three to every character.”

While Levy remained tight-lipped on specifics, he did reveal that the season will “deal with forces of evil that are new” which spells semi-good news for Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

“We're going to give Will a break,” he said, adding: “We’re not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He’ll be dealing with stuff, but he won’t be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah Schnapp to play.”

Fans of the friendship between Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) are in for a treat with scenes set to evolve their relationship to the point of brotherhood: “In season two, it was all very cute and there was a funny factor to it because it was unexpected, but now that it is expected, I want to see them connect more and be more familiar with each other,” Levy states.

“I want them to have a connection like they’ve really had a connection for a year - like they’re brothers.”

On whether Paul Reiser's Dr. Owens will return after seemingly surviving the Hawkins Lab disaster at the climax of season 2, Levy refused to say.

Stranger Things is expected to air late 2018/early 2019F

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