Stranger Things fans share theory about Eleven’s appearance in new season four teaser

Detail has to do with Winona Ryder’s character, Joyce Byers

Warning: the story below contains spoilers for the ending of Stranger Things season three.

Stranger Things fans have come up with a theory about Eleven’s appearance in a newly released teaser.

The official Twitter account for the Netflix series shared the clip on Friday. It gives a glimpse of what’s to come when the sci-fi hit show returns in 2022 for a fourth season.

The 30-second clip is quite cryptic, teasing that “something’s coming – it is almost here”.

It also includes a brief view of Millie Bobby Brown’s character being led away by two men in suits.

In that frame, Eleven is seen wearing her hair back, with a fringe framing her face.

The haircut – as promptly noticed by fans – is reminiscent of that sported by Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) in the show’s third and most recent season.

Joyce was left to act as a parent figure to Eleven after Hopper (David Harbour) apparently died in the third season. At the end of the finale, Eleven was seen preparing to leave Hawkins, Indiana with Joyce and the rest of the Byers family.

Fans have this interpreted her new haircut as a possible sign of her bonding with Joyce in the time between the third and fourth season. Some have even speculated that Joyce may have given Eleven a mini-me haircut herself, and are hoping that a scene representing that moment will be included in the new episodes.

“Oh my GOD I’ve literally just realised that this is eleven!!! When I first saw it I immediately thought it was Joyce because of her hair,” one person tweeted next to a sobbing emoji.

“What if there’s a scene where Joyce is helping El cut her hair and they start talking about Hopper and getting all sad,” someone else suggested.

“I can see Joyce being the only one El would trust enough to cut her hair,” another person wrote.

Stranger Things’ third season aired in July 2019. The fourth instalment will air next year after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.