What’s Cooking in Hawkins?

Alright, folks! Spoiler alert alert! If you haven’t watched the latest twists and turns in Stranger Things season 5, you might want to pause here because we’re about to dive deep into the Upside Down—and maybe even into some strange Marvel territory! So grab your favorite snacks, and let’s break down what’s going on!

Peeling Back the Layers of Vecna

In the penultimate episode of Stranger Things, the veil is lifted, and we uncover the real deets about Vecna and his little dark playground known as the Upside Down. Surprise! It’s not just some spooky alternate reality for your favorite kids to get lost in; rather, it’s like a portal to a world of pure chaos, a wormhole that connects our sunny little world to what Dustin and his D&D buddies are calling “The Abyss.” After giving Eleven a taste of his villainy, Henry Creel evolved into Vecna, and now he’s on a mission to merge his gloomy realm with ours. His weapon of choice? Kidnapped kiddos from Hawkins! Yep, he’s got his own tragic recruitment drive going on.

Marvel’s Plot Twists in the Mix

Now, if you’ve been lurking around the internet and catching wind of the upcoming Marvel flick Avengers: Doomsday, then you might find some déjà vu happening here. It’s starting to feel like a remix of Stranger Things! Between the mysterious teaser trailers focusing on youngsters and some Easter eggs dropped in earlier films, it seems like Doomsday might be navigating the same shadowy waters that Stranger Things is currently swimming through.

What Marvel Has Up Its Sleeves

So, what do we know about the Marvel universe’s future? Well, let’s spill some tea! In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, our friendly neighborhood sorcerer bumps into the Earth-838 Illuminati, who spill the beans about incursions—because who doesn’t love a good earth-crashing story? When two Earths collide? Boom! They basically go kaput, which leads some Earthlings to think, “Hey, let’s destroy the other planet to save our own!” And post-credits? Oh boy, Clea swoops in to enlist Strange for a fight against more of these reality-bending incursions. Sounds like a blast!

Where’s Doctor Doom Hiding?

Now, here’s a twist worth a popcorn pop! We’ve only caught a glimpse of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom—but from behind! Tantalizing, right? This shadowy figure is seen chatting it up with a young Franklin Richards in a post-credits wink from The Fantastic Four: First Steps. And guess what? That scene connects straight to Avengers: Doomsday! Plus, the trailers sneak peek some little ones, like the adorable son of Steve Rogers and Thor’s sweet adopted daughter, Love. Looks like Doom’s plan involves kids, folks!

The Comic Connection

Let’s flip through the comic canvas for clues about what’s brewing in Doomsday. The idea of incursions isn’t just a fancy term; it hails from Time Runs Out, right on the path to the legendary Secret Wars storyline. This comic features heroes and villains scrambling to prevent an incursion that could wipe out their Earth—until Doom swipes enough power to literally stitch together a new Earth out of various realities. And guess what? He becomes King God Emperor in the process! Talk about an upgrade!

The Big Picture

Putting all these pieces together, it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is sending Doom on a quest where he’s snagging powers from kidnapped kids to mold realities into one big playground where he reigns supreme. Now, doesn’t that sound like Vecna’s devious plan straight out of Stranger Things? If that’s the case, then the final season of Stranger Things could be a sneak peek into the grand finale of the MCU’s Phase Six!

What Lies Ahead?

Both Stranger Things and Avengers: Doomsday have bestowed us with lovable characters bouncing around in high-stakes chaos! But they’ve also faced criticism for mishandling emotional moments and tangled plots. Will the ending of Stranger Things cast shadows on the fate of Doomsday? Who knows!

But one thing’s for sure—if evil plans to munch on our beloved kiddos, we’re here for the wild ride! So grab your popcorn and let the countdown to the chaos begin!

Stranger Things season 5 episodes one through seven are currently streaming on Netflix. Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. Mark your calendars, you won’t wanna miss it!