A new Stephen King horror show has me convinced that we’ve already found a replacement for Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven beforeStranger Things' ending.Stranger Thingsseason 5will end the sci-fi horror drama, asEleven and the rest of her friends in Hawkins, Indiana fend off the Upside Down one last time. While all the majorcharacters inStranger Thingshave become classic, memorable parts of the franchise, Brown’s protagonist remains the most recognizable character. Her powers are going to be extremely vital as they go up against Vecna in the final episodes.
However, whenStranger Thingsends, the show will leave a massive hole in the television landscape. While its popularity is multifaceted, Eleven’s role as such a vital character has made her into one of the most iconic TV show protagonists of the modern era. It helps that her supernatural powers and determination to fight against massive threats make her a unique character whose role in the TV landscape will be missed. However,an upcoming adaptation of a Stephen King novel has a main character that’s already poised to replace ElevenbeforeStranger Things' final episodes.
The Institute’s Luke Ellis Is Primed To Be The New Eleven
He Shares A Similar Story & Powers To The Stranger Things Protagonist
The Instituteis an upcoming TV showon MGM+, based on King’s 2019 novel of the same name.The story follows Luke Ellis, a teenager with telekinetic abilities, who wakes up one day to find himself trapped in the titular Institute. He’s housed there alongside a number of other kids with supernatural powers, all of whom don’t know how they ended up there. As revealed inThe Institute’s trailer, the kids are desperate to escape and learn about why they’re being held captive, with Luke seemingly becoming their leader.
Much like Eleven when she was younger,Luke is being held captive by a mysterious organization because of his powers. While they didn’t kidnap him at birth like Hawkins Lab did to her,The Institutestill features him getting tested for unknown reasons. These tests are similar to the ones Eleven underwent while at Hawkins in relation to the Upside Down. Luke is also hinted to be a natural leader, something that Eleven grew into as her series progressed. These similarities make the newcomer a perfect replacement for her beforeStranger Thingsseason 5 gets released.
The Institute’s Ms. Sigby & Tim Jamieson Are Also Similar To Iconic Stranger Things Characters
The Pair Have Important Roles Connected To Luke’s Story
Much likeStranger Things, the cast ofThe Instituteincludes multiple adult characters important to the protagonist’s story. The first of these Luke meets isMs. Sigby, the head of the facility who’s in charge of the tests being done on children in their care. She acts as a parallel toDr. Brenner inStranger Things, who raised Eleven in Hawkins Lab and used her for experiments involving the Upside Down. However, while Brenner eventually works with Eleven in a benevolent capacity in season 4, Sigsby is a major antagonist and obstacle to Luke’s plans for escape.
The Institutepromises to focus more on the facility, similar to season 1 of the popular Netflix series.
The new King-based series also introduces former police officer Tim Jamieson early into the story. While at first he’s looking to start a new life in the town the Institute occupies, he soon begins investigating the building and what its true purpose is.He’s comparable to Jim Hopper inStranger Things, who’s not only suspicious of Hawkins Lab in season 1, but later forms a paternal bond with Eleven as the show progresses. Luke and Tim eventually interact as well, their stories crossing over in important ways as the novel progresses.
With two characters in his series that are akin to people close to Eleven, Luke seems like the perfect replacement for her beforeStranger Thingscomes back.The Institutepromises to focus more on the facility, similar to season 1 of the popular Netflix series. This means the show could have a similar approach to its sci-fi horror, making the shows even more similar beyond their main characters.
The Institutepremieres with two episodes on Sunday, July 13 on MGM+.
