It’s time to come back to Hawkins, but this time, it is animated! Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 transports us to the winter of 1985, which is between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original series. The new series presents little monster mayhem, fun cartoonery, and a new voice cast (not involving the live-action actors).Netflix and the Duffer brothers wanted to make the show look like an actual 80s Saturday morning cartoon, so they collaborated with showrunner Eric Robles and Flying Bark Productions to do so. You will see all your favorite characters once again, but in different voices to give them a little different twist, or rather, a more playful touch.Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is scheduled to be released in 2026, and, as it was announced during Stranger Things Day, the series will be released in two segments. Prepare to watch a nostalgic, friendship-laden, and Hawkins-style animated mystery adventure!The voice cast for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85The same Hawkins gang returns; however, this time with fresh voices and a fun animated twist! Brooklyn Davey Norstedt will voice Eleven, making the telekinetic hero sound younger and livelier. Luca Diaz is Mike, and Ben Plessala voices Will, who is a central figure as Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 directly follows the terrifying events of the previous seasons in Will’s life. Ej (Elisha) Williams provides the voice of Lucas, Braxton Quinney provides the voice of Dustin, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport delivers the voice of Max.All voice actors contribute to the development of their personality in a somewhat cartoonish manner: Eleven is tough and inquisitive, Mike is the brave leader, Dustin is the funny and lovable one, Will is thoughtful, Lucas is the practical thinker, and Max is the one who brings that element of defiance to the picture. This has a much lighter, more expressive tone, which suits the animation best of all; it permits more radical emotions and more of the monster business.The old, familiar, gruff Hopper comes back, only this time played by Brett Gipson. Other voice casts in the animated series include Odessa A’zion, long-time comedy actor Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips, perhaps in a mysterious role. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will be a balance of humor, heart, and nostalgia with the wit of Garofalo and the depth of Phillips.Although the original live-action cast members are not involved in the production of this series, the new voice actors do a wonderful job providing the audience with a fresh yet familiar impression of the popular Stranger Things crew. The Duffer Brothers and Hilary Leavitt, together with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, partnered with showrunner Eric Robles to adapt the story. The animation is done by Flying Bark Productions and provides it with the look of an old-school cartoon of the 80s.What to expectIf you experience a nostalgic love for Stranger Things because of its heart and 80s vibe, the new spin-off gives you the same feeling, but in an animated style. It all looks brighter, faster, and more fun with the help of the animation. The voices are different this time, and it might seem a bit awkward to begin with, but it also imparts to the characters a new energy, larger emotions, sharp humor, and action scenes, which animation deals with flawlessly.Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is set in the winter of 1985, between the seasons of the original show. It is a combination of nostalgia and new adventures, as it provides fans with familiar faces and moments without pushing it into the live-action narrative. As we have already seen in the trailer and the Netflix Stranger Things Day event, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will probably release in early 2026, in two parts, so be prepared to have more Hawkins fun next year!For more such insights on Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, keep following SoapCentral.