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The latest Stranger Things Season 4 trailer released on Aug. 6 has given fans plenty of new information to digest. Executive producer Shawn Levy teased that further details would be coming soon, a few days before the trailer. Fans might have been a little disappointed when the only release date given was a very vague “2022.” 

However, as Stranger Things fans are wont to do, we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and started to dissect the trailer frame by frame. While many shots have been noted as potential clues, there’s one thing fans think hints to a stronger relationship between characters Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown.)

The newest 'Stranger Things' Season 4 trailer has fans taking note of Eleven's haircut. In this season 3 image of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max (Sadie Sink) looking at each other on a bus wearing colorful '80s style clothing.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 | Netflix

Could Eleven’s new hairstyle in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 really be a clue?

The short answer to whether or not Eleven’s new haircut in Stranger Things Season 4 is a clue is “yes.” Almost everything creators Ross and Matt Duffer do is intentional. That’s not hard to determine. What is challenging, however, is what the clue could ultimately be.

In one scene from the latest trailer, viewers see El pulled away by men in suits. She’s dressed in a baggy flannel, her hair is pulled back, and she has bangs. Is this look ringing any bells?

A flannel, baggy jeans, and bangs are pretty much Joyce’s uniform. This could signify that Joyce and Eleven have grown closer, and El is emulating Joyce’s style. She’s never had anyone in a maternal role in her life. It’s logical for her to cling to Joyce, especially after assuming Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is dead.

Is Eleven experiencing flashbacks again?

There’s also a theory that the men pulling her away in the newest trailer for Stranger Things Season 4 are from Hawkins Lab. In another scene, there’s a shot of Eleven with a shaved head. She had a shaved head in season 1 when she escaped the lab. It would make sense that they would shave her head once again if she was brought back. 

Of course, Stranger Things has previously used flashbacks in their storytelling. Is this a flashback of Eleven when she was in the lab? This Redditor thinks there’s a chance it’s not a flashback at all. “The shot of El with shaved hair could also be a flashback/dream or something! But if she’s actually being captured in that shot, then yeah, there’s a chance her hair was shaved and she was put back into a lab.”

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Could Will be captured too?

It’s never been fully explained why the Demogorgon took Will (Noah Schnapp) in season 1. Fans have floated theories that maybe he has undiscovered powers of his own that attracted the monster. Plus, Will has a much deeper connection to the Upside Down than everyone besides Eleven. He spent all of season 1 there and was still being transported there on occasion in season 2.

This Redditor said, “Just an idea, but possibly Will could get kidnapped too. Noah Schnapp has only posted videos lately with his head covered (maybe he had to shave his head for season 4). Also, the idea that Will also has powers, whether that be because he was in the Upside Down or not, has been said before. Or maybe they’d want to kidnap him because of the fact that spend an extended amount of time in the Upside Down. It also looked like El was looking ahead at something. Maybe she was seeing people from the lab grabbing will.”

While it’s fun to pore over the new bits of content fans are getting, there’s still a while to wait until the debut of Stranger Things Season 4. Hopefully, viewers will get more clips to dive into before long. All three seasons of Stranger Things are currently streaming on Netflix.

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