Since it takes place in its own fictional world, Stranger Things offers a a much-need escape from reality. But it's not entirely divorced from the world we're living in, producer Shawn Levy explained at the Producers Guild Awards.
"We have always been a show about the marginalized, non-cookie cutter, people in fictional Hawkins, Indiana, and in many ways, we have always championed the kind of different," he said. "So it’s not a complete stretch to say that we’re leaning into that beat."
Actor Noah Schnapps has already pointed out via a thoughtful Instagram post that the series celebrates outcasts. "Stranger Things is a show about a bunch of kids who are outsiders and find each other because they have been bullied in some way or are different," he wrote.
Levy echoed these sentiments. "The different ones are the heroes on Stranger Things," he said. "Eleven is terrifying at first, before you realize there’s a humanity there. So I think that these themes are of this time, and they will continue to be."
Co-creator Ross Duffer added that they'd already sketched out the basic framework for the second season, but current events could very well find their way in.
As People points out, Stranger Things actor David Harbour hasn't shied away from politics either. When the cast accepted the SAG award for best performance by an ensemble in a drama series, he denounced Trump's immigration ban in his speech. "We call to arms our fellow craftsmen and women to go deeper and through our hearts battle against fear, self-centeredness, exclusivity of our predominantly narcissistic culture," he said.
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