Robert Englund Returns to ‘Stranger Things’ for Animated Spin-Off in New Rol

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Throughout its run, from the very first episode to the finale, Stranger Things consistently showed appreciation for classic horror movies. It did this by borrowing ideas – like giving Eleven powers similar to those in Carrie and Firestarter – or by including references to popular horror culture, such as a The Evil Dead poster in a bedroom or characters going to see Day of the Dead. These nods to iconic horror films reached a peak in Season 4 when a well-known horror actor joined the cast.

The world of Stranger Things is filled with monsters from a dimension called the Upside Down, and the show’s characters spent a long time trying to figure out where they came from. Season 4 revealed that a villain named Vecna – originally known as Henry Creel – was responsible for creating all of these creatures. In one episode, we learned about Henry’s father, Victor Creel, who was portrayed by Robert Englund, famous for A Nightmare on Elm Street. Englund will be back for the first Stranger Things spin-off, Tales from ’85, but this time he’ll be providing the voice for a character named Cosmo. So far, that’s all we know about the role.

Fans are even more excited about the new series, which pays tribute to Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, after spotting a hidden reference to Freddy Krueger in the latest trailer, as shown in the image below.

In a recent trailer scene, Nikki Baxter (Odessa A’zion) is attacked by monsters from the Upside Down, and the teenagers from Hawkins, Indiana, step in to help. Afterwards, Nikki invites the group to her garage to gather weapons. It’s clear Nikki is a horror fan just like the others, evidenced by a cardboard cutout of Freddy Krueger displayed in her garage.

Robert Englund first played Freddy Krueger in the original 1984 film, Nightmare on Elm Street, and continued in the role through six sequels and the Freddy vs. Jason crossover. The character was rebooted in 2010 with Jackie Earle Haley taking over. What sets Freddy apart from other horror icons like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, or Ghostface is that Freddy never wore a mask, meaning Englund’s performance was key to creating the character’s unique personality. Adding to his fame, Englund often appeared as Freddy in public, on talk shows and at events, especially during the 1980s.

It’s been over twenty years since Robert Englund last played Freddy Krueger on screen. What’s exciting about his voice work in Tales from ’85 is that he’s often said he’d love to reprise the role in an animated project. While he’s no longer interested in the physical demands of a live-action film, he feels he could continue to contribute his voice to the character for many years.

Whether Englund’s character, Cosmo, has any connection to Freddy Krueger or Victor Creel remains a mystery, and we’ll find out when Tales from ’85 is released in April.

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2026-03-27 01:26