While chatting with Variety, Harbour revealed that he managed to wrangle some answers from the Duffer Brothers about what comes next for Hopper:

“I think it varies from person to person, from character to character, and I’m such a harassment specialist that I think I’ve gotten it out of them. It’s been back and forth about like, ‘What happens to Hopper? Is he a character that’s able to survive Hawkins or does he die?’ I know what happens and it’s quite moving, and quite beautiful.”

Is it just me or does “beautiful” sound like actor-talk for devastating? Whatever the implications, Harbour won’t be spilling any details about the upcoming season or what will follow in the grand finale. After all, he’s managed to keep it in this long and the road to season 4 has been ridiculously wrong. Plus, he sounds extra determined and added, “I will hold this one to my grave, I promise. This is a big one.” While secrets are clearly a big deal on the set of “Stranger Things,” knowing the ending was crucial for Harbour, who explained:

“I think that I needed to know as we were shooting early on, because I needed to know where he ends up and for what reason he ends up there. I think there is going to be somewhat of a morality — or at least responsible storytelling — to what the Duffers are doing. There’s a reason in season 2 why Bob dies. He’s too innocent. You can’t go up to that monster and say, like, ‘Get away from me, get away!’ You just can’t be that person in this world. That person dies. So I think there’s a responsibility in terms of how Hopper ends up that I’m eager for people to see, and I had to know that going in so I knew where to arc it.”

The fourth season of “Stranger Things” is said to be a globe-trotting experience, following the Byers family and Eleven to California, while the rest of the gang faces high school in Hawkins. As for Hopper, Harbour spent time filming in Lithuania, which means we’ll be checking in with his stint in the prison camp.

Volume 1 of “Stranger Things” season 4 makes its debut on Netflix on May 27, 2022, with Volume 2 following on July 1, 2022.