'Stranger Things' Is Introducing A New Character

If there's one silver lining to finishing Season 1 of Netflix's sci-fi series Stranger Things, it's undoubtedly this: Netflix announced on Wednesday that Stranger Things has been renewed for a second season. Though it won't arrive until some time in 2017, the existence of a Season 2 renewal means fans no longer have to question whether or not the series is returning — one less mystery when it comes to this show. Considering there are plenty of mysteries that viewers were left with at the end of Season 1, such as what the heck is going on with Will (the fact that he was puking slugs definitely can't be good) and whether Eleven is really gone for good, having the question of whether or Stranger Things will ever return answered is a welcome change. But, of course, when it comes to this show, one mystery solved means another mystery will take its place. Case-in-point: spoilers for Stranger Things Season 2 suggest that a mysterious new character is headed to Hawkins. According to TVLine, viewers will meet a new character named Max in Season 2 of Stranger Things. So, how might she fit in to this whole Hawkins mystery?

Per the report, Max will be one of the three major new characters introduced in Season 2, and based off of her character description, she's definitely an interesting one. Max is described as a 12 to 14-year-old girl who is "tough and confident," with behavior and an appearance that seem more typical of boys than of girls in this era. For instance: Instead of riding a bicycle (as Lucas, Mike, Will and Dustin do) all over town, Max prefers a skateboard. Not unlike Eleven did in Season 1, Max seems like she's going to stick out for being different — albeit, for different reasons.

We don't have the answer to how she'll fit into the series yet, but there is one clue about Max, and it's in a title of a Season 2 episode of all places. According to a short teaser for Stranger Things Season 2, the premiere episode of Season 1 is titled "MadMax." Though the title could easily be a reference to George Miller's popular film franchise, Mad Max, I can't imagine how it also wouldn't refer to Max the character. Perhaps Max isn't a friend of Mike and his pal's at all, and instead, "mad" somehow?

Given that Max will be a "major" character, it's possible that she won't earn the title of "MadMax" for very long. Even if Max does start out as a foe to Mike's crew, perhaps she'll end up an ally by the end of the season. Stranger Things loves challenging common tropes just as much as it loves embracing nostalgia, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that we'll get both with Max: a classic '80s movie bully combined with something brand new.

We'll have to wait until Season 2 premieres in 2017 to find out how Max fits in, but until then, I'll be devouring every piece of info about this intriguing new character that I can find.

Images: Netflix; Giphy