Your favorite snarky small town police chief is coming back into the picture for Stranger Things 4. That's right, Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is returning to Netflix's hit sci-fi/fantasy series, as we long suspected. The first teaser for Season 4 confirms that Hopper is alive and being imprisoned in Russia. Revealing our first glimpse of Hopper since his alleged death, the teaser shows him surrounded by snow as he toils away on a train track alongside other workers, who are being overseen by armed Russian guards and attack dogs.
The events of Stranger Things 3's finale indicated that Hopper perished in the laboratory explosion as he and other heroes worked to close the newest gate to the Upside Down. While his friends and chosen family mourned his apparent death, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) read moving letter he had written her in one of the show's most touching scenes. However, the mid-credits scene hinted that Hopper might not be dead after all, as we briefly journeyed to another lab in Russia which had detained someone referred to as "The American."
Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer released a statement on Friday elaborating on Hopper's return, writing, "We're excited to officially confirm that production on Stranger Things 4 is now underway -- and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper! Although it's not all good news for our 'American'; he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human... and other. Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything..."
The statement continued, "Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime -- pray for the American. From Russia with love, The Duffer Brothers."
Stranger Things is currently available to stream on Netflix.
