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Stranger Things Season 3: Millie Bobby Brown Wants Eleven to Lose Her Powers
Millie Bobby Brown wants to see Eleven lose her powers in the next season of Stranger Things. In the show’s first two seasons, fans have watched Eleven escape a corrupt science facility, reclaim her past, and battle both humans and the supernatural alike with her psychokinetic powers. But Brown is hoping the writers take some or all of her character’s abilities away in the next season so Eleven can explore how strong she really is without her powers backing her up.
Netflix’s Stranger Things first appeared in 2016, introducing audiences to the not so quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana. The show was a hit, thanks to a combination of '80s nostalgia, tense storytelling, and a compelling cast centered around a group of relatable, geeky misfits. Despite the lighthearted teaser released earlier this year, season 3 promises to be even darker, an ambitious feat considering how the previous seasons were already pretty grim. Along with a grittier plot, the show will keep the '80s references coming with numerous nods to films from 1985.
At a Q&A following an FYC screening of Stranger Things (courtesy of Variety), Brown expressed her hope that Eleven’s arc could include her losing her powers, stating:
“I think Eleven should sacrifice herself in some way. That’s how I kind of want that situation to go. I want to have her really sacrifice her powers. If Eleven loses her powers, is she as powerful just as a character? I think that would be very cool. I want to build her to be a strong person without her powers…But right now it’s very about her powers and I think taking that away slowly would be cool.”
Brown has previously teased that Eleven will experience her “coming of age” story in the next season. At the end of season 2, Eleven’s trajectory hinted that the character will get the chance to live the life of a regular teen by getting a new identity as Jane Hopper and attending the Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School with Mike. A storyline following Eleven at last becoming her own person after growing up as an abused test subject would be an interesting one to follow. The arc would feel natural after season 2 where she struggled to become part of a family. Eleven losing her powers could easily tie into that narrative, allowing her to find her inner strength outside the shadow of Hawkins Lab.
Eleven without her superpowers would be shocking considering how closely tied they are to her as a character. But that might be just what the show needs. Taking Eleven’s abilities away will force her to grow as she learns how to deal with problems she previously could have fixed with a thought. A powerless Eleven will ratchet up the tension when both the audience and the characters realize they can no longer rely on Eleven’s psychokinesis to keep the Upside Down out of Hawkins. Eleven sans powers is currently just a suggestion, not a sure thing for season 3 but it is certainly a direction Stranger Things should consider.
Stranger Things season 3 premieres on Netflix in summer 2019.
