It’s hard to imagine Stranger Things without Eleven, but in the Duffer Brothers’ original vision, her story would have been tragically short. The show we know and love was almost a very different, self-contained story with a much darker ending for its beloved telekinetic hero. What was the original plan, and why did it change?
🎬 A Limited Series, A Final Sacrifice
When the Duffer Brothers first pitched their idea, it wasn’t intended to be a multi-season saga. “In our original pitch, the show was not originally intended as multiple series,” explained Ross Duffer in a 2017 interview. In that version, the story would have concluded with a heroic sacrifice. “Eleven was going to sacrifice herself,” he revealed. This made sense from a cinematic point of view, treating her as an E.T.-like character with a complete, emotional arc that ended with the first season.
💡 From ‘Montauk’ to Hawkins
The setting was also different. Early scripts placed the supernatural story in Montauk, New York, and the show’s working title was simply *Montauk*. The change to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, came later in the development process. This shift grounded the story in the American Midwest, creating the iconic, nostalgic feel that has become a hallmark of the series.
👑 Inspired by Game of Thrones
While the show is famous for its Spielbergian influences, the Duffers also took a surprising cue from a much grittier source: Game of Thrones. They were inspired by how the fantasy epic killed off characters you weren’t supposed to lose. “Suddenly, you don’t feel safe any more, then the stakes feel a lot higher,” explained Matt Duffer. This led to the shocking deaths of characters like Benny in the first episode, a deliberate move to signal to the audience that this wasn’t just a kids’ show and that no one was truly safe. Thankfully, they decided to spare Eleven, realizing her journey was far from over.
Bibliography:
Tanswell, Adam. “The SFX Archives: Stranger Things Season One.” SFX, issue 394, Future plc, August 2025, pp. 56-63.
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