When quizzed about all eight episode titles of Stranger Things season 2, Matt Duffer not only teased that a smattering of clues are hidden in plain sight, but the series co-creator revealed that Netflix had actually commissioned a second batch of episodes long before it was first made public.
That goes some ways to explaining why Stranger Things season 2 seems a little ahead of schedule – not that we’re complaining – and today we have confirmation that the Netflix favorite has cast an up-and-coming Broadway star and the Red Ranger in time for its 2017 return.
They are, of course, Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery, respectively, who will be filling some of the new characters previously teased by the Duffer brothers. First up, Sink has been cast as Max, a “tough and confident 13-year-old female whose appearance, behavior and pursuits are more typical of boys than of girls in the era.” A tomboy, essentially. As for Montgomery, he’s on board to play Billy, the overconfident step-brother to Max who may or may not have something to do with the episode titled “The Lost Brother.”
On the topic of the Stranger Things cast, there’s also confirmation that Joe Keery and Noah Schnapp – Steve Harrington and Will Byers, respectively – have been bumped up to series regulars, indicating that they’ll both enjoy much larger roles by the time 2017 rolls around. That’s not terribly surprising, considering one is in the midst of changing his image and building a relationship with Nancy while Will, fresh from his harrowing experience in the Upside Down, was last seen experiencing nightmarish hallucinations.
Stranger Things season 2 will run for one more episode than its forebear – hurray! – when the Netflix Original returns some time next year. Before its return, Dacre Montgomery will be part of the fresh faces headlining Power Rangers on March 24, 2017.