‘Stranger Things’ creators accused of using ChatGPT to write script after final season documentary

'One Last Adventure: The Making Of Stranger Things 5' released after the finale offers insight into production process

The creators of Stranger Things have been accused by some fans of using ChatGPT during the writing of the show’s fifth and final season, following the release of a behind-the-scenes documentary on Netflix.

The series concluded on New Year’s Eve with a two-hour finale that saw Vecna defeated and Eleven apparently sacrificing herself to save her friends. The ending divided viewers, with some disappointed by the ambiguity surrounding Eleven’s fate, while others speculated about an additional episode, a theory that was later dismissed.

A documentary titled One Last Adventure: The Making Of Stranger Things 5 was released shortly after the finale, offering insight into the production process. One scene showing creators Matt and Ross Duffer working on scripts has since drawn scrutiny online after a screenshot circulated on social media. Some viewers claimed a tab resembling ChatGPT was visible on one of the laptops.

Duffer Brothers really used chatgpt for this script? WTF 😡😡 pic.twitter.com/f2fyOZ7zWa

— Vicky Shinde (@iamshinde83) January 12, 2026

However, several viewers have questioned whether the tab shown is actually ChatGPT, with others pointing out that the footage may date back several years, before the AI chatbot became widely used.

In the days following the finale, Matt Duffer addressed criticism of the ending and reflected on post-release interviews. “I really shouldn’t have done any of these postmortem interviews,” he said. “I am not in a good place. Like, why the hell did we do any of them yesterday is beyond me. I’m, like, fried. I was getting over the flu. So, anyone mad at any answers we gave you yesterday, just cut me some slack.”

Netflix has confirmed that two Stranger Things spin-offs are in development, including a live-action series with new characters and an animated project titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.