The Hawkins police chief appeared to die in the season three finale.
Hopper is alive! On Friday, Netflix dropped the first look at the highly anticipated fourth season of Stranger Things.
In the nearly minute-long teaser, fans see men working hard outside in snowy Russia. At the very end of the clip, Hopper (David Harbour), who now has a buzz cut, is seen alive and working alongside the others.
The fact that Hopper isn't dead is certainly a happy surprise for fans, who saw the Hawkins, Indiana, police chief appear to sacrifice himself to save everyone in the season three finale. The post-credits scene left viewers with some hope, though, when the show traveled to a Russian prison and guards referred to one captive as "the American."
When ET spoke to Harbour about the fate of his character, he said that it would be "pretty crazy" if Hopper was able to survive the seemingly devastating blast.
"That machine went off and blew up and Hopper seemed to be trapped there," he said. "He did glance around a little bit, but he seemed to be trapped and the machine exploded. And then you cut to... some town in Russia right? Where there’s some American and some prisoner. I don't know, I mean, it seems strange."
In a press release for the teaser, The Duffer Brothers, who created the series, confirm that production is underway for the fourth season and give a little more info about Hopper's return.
"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!" the statement reads. "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."
As for the other characters, the statement teases that "back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything."
"Season four is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more," the statement adds. "In the meantime -- pray for the American."
The brothers signed their statement "From Russia with love," is in reference to the 1963 James Bond flick of the same name.
The Netflix series was picked up for a fourth season last September, with a tagline that read, "We're not in Hawkins anymore," a reference to The Wizard of Oz that was likely a nod to the show's Russian setting.
In November, Netflix revealed that the first episode of season four will be titled "The Hellfire Club." Fans were quick to point out that the name appeared to be a reference to X-Men. In comics, the "Hellfire Club" is an organization of bad guys who abduct X-Man Jean Grey and try to use her as a weapon. Jean Grey has psychic powers in X-Men, very similar to the Stranger Things character Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
Watch the video below for more on season four of Stranger Things.
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