We have a while to wait for the fourth season of Stranger Things, but that’s not stopping theories about what we’ve seen so far on the Netflix series. One of the more long-running debates has focused on the history and the rules behind the Upside Down, and how it ties into the series’ main cast. Now, a new theory on Reddit is suggesting that Will Byers is actually the creator of the Upside Down, which if even close to being accurate has significant implications for the future of Stranger Things.
There’ve been various theories about what the Upside Down represents, and why the Russians were so keen to break into it during season 3 of the show. According to the Will Byers explanation though, the character was able to survive for so long in there due to creating it himself. This approach suggests that Will may have been an early test subject for the Hawkins Lab, and could have invented the Upside Down as a side-effect from experiments that tested his psychic powers.
Furthermore, the theory implies that Will is not the victim of the creatures that have emerged from the Upside Down, but a god-like figure whom the Mind Flayer and other monsters are trying to protect. This relationship is strengthened by Will’s love of Dungeons & Dragons, and how his abilities could have led him to unknowingly create an alternate dimension. If all this holds up, Will could be the key to finally cutting the link with the Upside Down in the fourth season or beyond.
Of course, the theory doesn’t quite tie in with what we know about Eleven, and would be a major twist if it turns out to have any substance. Other slightly more plausible theories about where Stranger Things will go in its next batch of episodes though include Eleven becoming a villain, while the Duffer Brothers have mentioned the series expanding to new locations.
In any case, the fourth and possibly final season of the show is already starting to shoot this October, so stay tuned for more news as we get it.