A theory for Stranger Things season 4 connects the season's villain to the focus of one of its first trailers: the Creel House. Stranger Things is one of Netflix's biggest successes, with the sci-fi show spanning four seasons thus far. Stranger Things season 4 will premiere in two parts, part 1 in May 2022, with part 2 coming in July 2022.
Stranger Things season 4 will pick up shortly after the events of the show's third season. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and their other friends remain in Hawkins after their battle with the Mind Flayer in Stranger Things season 3. A powerless Eleven, Will, Joyce, and Jonathan are living in California following the apparent death of Hopper, Eleven's surrogate father. However, when the Upside Down once again threatens the world, the residents of Hawkins, both current and prior, are embroiled in another war with the creatures of the unknown.
The multiple trailers for Stranger Things season 4 have provided a lot of questions about just what is going to be featured in the season. From the first trailer, entitled Creel House, to the second focusing on the Byers and Eleven in California, to the third official trailer hinting at new enemies from the Upside Down, Stranger Things season 4 promises to be much bigger than anything seen in the Netflix show thus far. One thing that is obvious from the marketing for Stranger Things season 4 is that the Duffer Brothers will be including lots of new elements into the show, with some of these elements being linked together by differing theories. One of these theories involves both the Creel House and the new villain from Stranger Things season 4 featured in the marketing.
Stranger Things' Creel House Seemingly Connects To The Upside Down
With an entire trailer dedicated to the Creel House early in Stranger Things season 4's marketing campaign, it is obvious this house will be largely connected to the overarching story of the show. In the first trailer containing the Creel House, one of the big hints that this would be the case before seeing the main cast of the show exploring the house is the building's apparent connection to the Upside Down. The trailer in question shows a family moving into the house, the patriarch of the family confirmed to be a young version of Victor Creel, Robert Englund's character. The trailer shows the family living a seemingly normal life before the lights of the house begin to flicker, and animals seem to die surrounding the house. As has been the case in Stranger Things thus far, these unusual happenings are signs of the Upside Down's corruption and intrusion into the world.
After a quick shot of Victor Creel standing above his children's unconscious bodies, the trailer switches to show the main cast of Stranger Things season 4 exploring the house, though it is not revealed what they are looking for. The trailer's final shot then shows a tall grandfather clock from the house before showing the same clock in the Upside Down, with the red lightning and spores synonymous with the portrayal of the other dimension in the show being present. This clock, and the Creel House, link to the final trailer released for Stranger Things season 4. One of the sequences in that trailer shows Max seeing the same grandfather clock lodged into the wall at school, with cracks akin to those of the portal to the Upside Down around it. Later in the same trailer, the Creel House is shown in its entirety in the Upside Down, surrounded by unknown flying creatures. All of this from Stranger Things season 4 and its trailers point to the Creel House being closely linked to the Upside Down in several potential ways.
Stranger Things Season 4's Monster, Vecna, Used To Be A Human
Another new aspect of Stranger Things season 4 that is heavily featured in the official trailer is the series' new monster: Vecna. The name Vecna comes from another Dungeons & Dragons character, as has been the case with every major Stranger Things villain thus far, such as the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer. In the lore of the game, Vecna was a wizard who sought dark magic, eventually transforming himself into a dark, immortal creature. Given the title of episode 2 of Stranger Things season 4 is "Vecna's Curse," it is logical to assume Vecna is the monster in the trailer with the kids carrying on the trend of asg the creature a name from Dungeons & Dragons.
There are a few things, though, that hint at Vecna having used to be a human. The name from Dungeons & Dragons lore, for example, is enough of a reason for why it would make sense for the Vecna in Stranger Things season 4 to be revealed as a former human. Given the game character's transformation from a person seeking dark magic to an evil, immortal creature, the kids of Stranger Things would likely attribute this name to a character that underwent a similar change with similar characteristics, as was done with the Mind Flayer.
Also, Vecna's appearance is significant. Prior to Stranger Things season 4, all of the creatures of the Upside Down have been fantastical and monstrous in appearance, from the Demodogs to the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer. With Vecna, though, the Stranger Things season 4 trailer shows this particular creature as a humanoid. While sharing similarities to the Mind Flayer, such as Vecna's tether to tentacles, as shown in the trailer, the creature is very similar to a human in of shape and size. Another thing is that Vecna can speak, taunting the heroes of Stranger Things season 4 that they have lost. All of this points to Vecna being a human in the past before becoming involved with the Upside Down somehow.
Theory: Stranger Things Season 4's Vecna Is Robert Englund's Victor Creel
All of this points to the theory that Vecna is Victor Creel, Robert Englund's character in Stranger Things season 4. Given the Creel House's connection to the Upside Down, as well as the humanoid appearance of Vecna, this theory holds a lot of weight. A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, was revealed to be playing a role in Stranger Things season 4. That role was confirmed to be none other than Victor Creel, the former resident of the Creel House. In Stranger Things season 4, Englund will be playing the older version of Victor Creel in the show's present day. In 1959, Creel was arrested for the murders of his family, as hinted at in the Creel House trailer, before being sent to Pennhurst Mental Hospital, where he resides in 1986, the year the show is set.
With the house having an obvious connection to the Upside Down, it is more than likely that Victor Creel became obsessed with learning about the other dimension and its dark powers, not unlike Vecna from Dungeons & Dragons. This could have led to Victor being corrupted by the Upside Down, potentially the Mind Flayer, and murdering his family. Over the years, Victor Creel may have been slowly transforming into Vecna before coming into conflict with the show's main characters over their attempts to stop the Upside Down, explaining the monster's villainous role in Stranger Things season 4. From his connection to the Creel House, Vecna's unlikely humanoid appearance and voice, and a horror actor of Robert Englund's caliber, it is entirely possible Vecna is, in fact, Victor Creel, with both being the main antagonist of Stranger Things season 4 for the beloved heroes to overcome.