Over nine years ago, Netflix debuted the cultural phenomenon Stranger Things. The sci-fi series has become embedded in the fabric of streaming history as one of the great shows, has amassed a loyal following that constantly makes the show’s scenes social media conversations, and has gained the respect of awarding bodies, earning several Emmy, Golden Globe, and even Grammy nominations.
As Stranger Things heads into its final season, it’s worth taking a look at the careers of the show’s cast since the first eight episodes dropped on July 15, 2016. Having done just that, below is a list of the top 10 projects Stranger Things stars have been featured in, ranked in subjective order based on factors like box office numbers, cultural impact, reviews, and more. Considering the cast as a whole has been quite busy, this task was quite difficult. It may even shock some to discover what didn’t make the cut.
10
‘Enola Holmes’ (2020)/’Enola Holmes 2′ (2022)
Given that Millie Bobby Brown shot to superstardom with Stranger Things and made the Eleven character a legendary part of TV history, it’s remarkable that she’s been able to find another iconic role that TV and movie buffs can instantly recognize her by. Case in point, Enola Holmes. In both Enola Holmes and the sequel, Enola Holmes 2, Brown portrays the titular character, who happens to be a brilliant novice detective and the sister of the famed detective Sherlock Holmes.
Fun, Mystery-Solving Movies
The Enola Holmes movies offer a fresh take on the Sherlock Holmes folklore, which was nice to see, considering the character of Sherlock was first created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. Both movies shot to the top of the Netflix streaming charts upon their release, meaning quite the fan base was developed.
9
‘Godzilla vs. King Kong’ (2021)
Another big project from Brown, Godzilla vs. Kong was a massive pre-summer hit that raked in more than $470 million at the box office worldwide. Following up on the stories of fabled monsters Godzilla and King Kong, the film sees Brown portraying Madison Russell, the next-generation advocate for the gigantic dinosaur who assumes Godzilla isn’t as villainous as everyone thinks. So again, Brown takes on the hero trope in a sci-fi narrative, but this go-around, she doesn’t have any supernatural powers to stop the world from ending.
A Great Performance From Millie Bobby Brown
Overall, Brown delivered a solid performance as Madison and held her own on the screen, showing that the Madison character had evolved from the young girl in the previous Godzilla: King of the Monsters film into a young woman ready to have a decisive voice in this gruesome fictional world. That in itself is remarkable considering she starred opposite well-known monsters, Emmy-winning Alexander Skarsgard, and Oscar-nominated Brian Tyree Henry.
8
‘The Whale’ (2022)
The indie movie The Whale may not have been on everyone’s radar when it was widely released, competing in the theaters against films like Avatar: The Way of Water and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, but The Whale was a darling of the awards season. Earning Brendan Fraser an Academy Award, the movie sees him portray a morbidly obese teacher who tries to reunite with his teenage daughter, played by none other than Sadie Sink, aka Max from Stranger Things.
A New Side to Sadie Sink
Sink brought her A-game in the role, once again playing somewhat of a snarky teen with a chip on her shoulder. However, in the movie, she has to bring more complexities to the role, given her character has to balance snark and resentment toward her estranged father, with the realization that she has limited time to sort out her feelings about her dad and possibly patch things up. She also plays well off her on-screen counterpart Fraser. Kudos to Sink for earning a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination for her portrayal.
7
‘The New Edition Story’ (2017)
The New Edition Story is arguably the best music biopic miniseries made in the last ten years. It tells the story of the legendary R&B group New Edition as they rose to success, experiencing their fair share of pitfalls along the way. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but many viewers found themselves impressed by the singing chops of the show’s cast. One of the Hollywood stars who helped bring this tale to life was Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin, who portrays a young Ricky Bell in the miniseries.
An Amazing BET Series
In terms of numbers, upon its release, it became the highest-rated and most-watched programming for the BET network, and it was a high-trending topic on social media during its three-day premiere. So while it may not have box office numbers to justify its placement on the list, it has fandom on its side. To this day, it still provides an enjoyable viewing experience for those ready to rewatch the rise, fall, and rise again of New Edition.
6
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ (2025)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is more than deserving to be on this list. Starring Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, who previously played Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, The Fantastic Four: First Steps marked the official return of the comic book franchise to the MCU, and is without a doubt the best cinematic version of the four-person super squad ever made. Not only was the story well-executed in its retro setting, but the casting felt spot on.
A Fantastic MCU Team Up
While on the topic of Quinn, it’s not until one creates a list like this that it becomes incredibly evident just how much of a star he’s become since his days on Stranger Things. He’s also starred in things like A Quiet Place: Day One, which was a massive hit. However, there was only room for two of Quinn’s movies on this list, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps was a must, as this film finally did justice in capturing Marvel’s first superhero team after a few previous cinematic attempts. As far as the other Quinn selection, that will be explained later.
5
‘Thunderbolts*’ (2025)
David Harbour is emerging as quite the marketable action star since he first appeared on the Netflix hit series as Chief of the Hawkins Police Department, Jim Hopper. To name a few projects, he starred alongside Jason Statham in The Working Man and Orlando Bloom in Gran Turismo, but there’s no question that his biggest splash in the action world has been portraying Alexei Shostakov, also known as the Red Guardian, in the MCU.
Bringing Hope Back to the MCU
The “superhero” has become a nice addition to the Marvel onscreen world, often providing comedic relief, and he helped propel Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers) to a solid showing at the box office. Additionally, for some, Thunderbolts* helped restore Marvel fans’ hopes that the future of the MCU is looking bright. The announcement that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to this comic book world also probably helped with that hopeful look.
4
‘Black Widow’ (2021)
David Harbour originated the role of the Red Guardian in the action-packed movie Black Widow. Although there’s an argument to be made that Thunderbolts should be placed higher on this list than Black Widow, the Scarlett Johansson film gets points for originating the character and for having some top-notch fight sequences. Plus, Black Widow was long overdue when you consider the rest of the original Avengers already had standalone movies to explain their origins with multiple sequels.
A Stellar Marvel Movie
While Thunderbolts* may technically have higher scores on Rotten Tomatoes and did better at the box office, deference should be given to Black Widow. Especially when you consider that Black Widow was released during a time when the world was still recovering from the global pandemic. Also, given Johansson wasn’t able to rely on her usual band of familiar Avengers actors for the film, Harbour had big shoes to fill to help round out the cast for fans and excelled in the task. In Thunderbolts*, Marvel fans were quite familiar with the other lead stars.
3
‘Elvis’ (2022)
When it comes to the Stranger Things star who appeared in Elvis, it was none other than Dacre Montgomery, who played Billy Hargrove, Max’s mullet-wearing and prickly stepbrother in the series. In the Elvis movie, however, he appeared as producer/director Steve Binder, and he was a little less rough around the edges.
A Strong Musician Biopic
Moviegoers and critics alike felt nothing short of “Burning Love” for the Elvis biopic. Telling the story of the famous rock and roller, it scored a slew of rave reviews, made quite the impression at the box office, and earned a ton of nominations from various awarding bodies. Unfortunately, Elvis ran into some stiff competition when it came to the actual ceremonies, going up against movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin.
2
‘Gladiator II’ (2024)
It may have taken 24 years, but the sequel to the Oscar-winning Gladiator was phenomenal, showing the rise of Paul Mescal’s Lucius. While Mescal and Denzel Washington as Macrinus stole the show, Stranger Things fans may have noticed Joseph Quinn portraying the co-emperor Geta, although he was almost unrecognizable as the deranged and temperamental ruler.
A Sequel Worth the Wait
Admittedly, the legacy of the original Gladiator helped to propel Gladiator II toward the top of this list. However, the sequel on its own is a great movie, as evidenced by its “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, its Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, and its big haul at the box office worldwide. Now, is the sequel better than the original? No. Regardless, it’s deserving of all the fanfare it has received.
1
‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
The Stranger Things star who appears in Oppenheimer, that honor belongs to Matthew Modine, who played Dr. Martin Brenner in the Netflix series. In the movie, he doesn’t star as a fictional evil genius but as the head of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Vannevar Bush.
A Best Picture Winner
Oppenheimer is without question the biggest project featuring a Stranger Things star post the show’s premiere, raking in a whopping $975,811,333 at the worldwide box office, taking home seven Oscars (including Best Picture), and scoring an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film about the founder of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his creation of some of the world’s first nuclear weapons, is a bit heavy, but it has become a must-watch among cinephiles (so take a look if you haven’t). It was a little less heavy when viewed with its box office rival, Barbie.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
