'Stranger Things' season 3 release date, cast news: Fan-favorite Priah Ferguson gets a recurring role along with Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke's daughter
The "Stranger Things" gang is set to get bigger for its third season. As the show makes room for a new and unexpected threat against the town of Hawkins, well-loved character Erica, played by Atlanta-born child actress Priah Ferguson, will return as a recurring character as she steps away from the show's sidelines. The cast will also gain another addition in Maya Hawke, the 19-year-old daughter of Hollywood stars Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.
The eleven-year old Ferguson first gained popularity among the show's fans as she played Lucas' (Caleb McLaughlin) younger sister, and effectively stole the show whenever she had a scene. Matt Duffer, one of the show's creators, said that she was "very GIF-able," as evidenced by the emergence of screenshots and memes of the young Erica calling her brother Lucas a "nerd" on the show.
In an interview with Yahoo!, the show's co-creator Ross Duffer said in confirmation, "There will definitely be more Erica in Season 3. We were able to integrate more of her in, but not as much you want because the story [was] already going. We got to use more Erica -- that was one of the first things we said in the writers' room."
As for season 33's additional characters, fans are already anticipating what Maya Hawke can bring to the plate as Robin. Described by Netflix as an "alternative girl" with a lot of teenage angst, Hawke's Robin will be introduced as a character that is bored with her uninspiring day job.
She will seek adventure and excitement, but might end up getting more than what she asked for when she uncovers one of Hawkins' dark secrets. Some fans responded to the Netflix tweet with speculation that she might also become Steve's (Joe Keery) love interest.
As with all things related to "Stranger Things" season 33, fans would have to wait until 2019 for the mysterious happenings in Hawkins due to The Upside Down.
