Summary
- David Harbour loves being on Stranger Things, but he doesn't want to be solely associated with his character Hopper forever.
- Harbour wants to show the world different sides of his acting abilities and not be limited to just one role.
- A spinoff centered on a young Hopper could be a great choice, as it would fulfill fans' desires and bring the action back to Hawkins.
David Harbour really loves being on Stranger Things and playing Hawkins Chief Police James "Jim" Hopper on the Netflix hit series, but he has one complaint about his experience on the show.
First released in 2016, Stranger Things became an instant hit. The story created by the Duffer Brothers took elements of some of the most popular science fiction franchises from the 80s such as Back to the Future, The Goonies, Alien, Stand By Me, or E.T., appealing to nostalgia but while also presenting a timeless story that attracted new generations.
After an extremely successful fourth season, which took the series back to the top of the charts, Netflix announced that the next and fifth season would be the last one. Since then, fans have been speculating what other stories could be told within the world of the show, and many viewers would really love to see more of Hopper, since he's one of the most popular characters. Which is great form Harbour, except for one thing.
In an interview with Insider, the actor confessed that although while he really loves being on the show, there's a part of the experience with fans that he would like to change:
"The first year of 'Stranger Things,' I remember having a discussion with a publicist and her saying, 'Maybe you don't want to be associated with the show so much,' and I was like, 'Why? I love this show. I love the character.' And I do love the show. And I do love the character. But I don't want to be just that character. I don't want to be just that guy. I think about George Clooney leaving 'ER.' Now we just see him as George Clooney, but there was a time when it was the guy from ER is doing a movie with Nicole Kidman.' I'm trying to navigate some of that, and it's tricky because you don't want to s**t on the people that love you for this thing that you did that you also love. But at the same time, you kind of want to leave the nest. I got more in me. I got different stuff in me, and I want you guys to see that. I don't want people yelling 'Hopper' on the street every five minutes the rest of my life."
Why Hopper Would be a Great Choice for a Stranger Things Spinoff
While the universe of Stranger Things has already confirmed its first expansion on screen with an upcoming animated series, this show is rumored to be taking place away from Hawkins, so although it will give the fans a larger perception of the mythology of the series, it will definitely feel weird to have a story that's not set in the famous town.
That's why, if there are any chances of doing another spinoff, a prequel centered on a young version of Hopper would be a great choice. First of all, because fans have been asking for it since forever, so Netflix would have a secure audience for that project. But also because it will get the action back to Hawkins.
The story could cover how Hopper started working on the Police Department, while also deeply exploring what happened to his daughter and the character's tragic story, so there's a lot of material to create something interesting but different to what fans have seen on Stranger Things.