Being the hero can change a man, and it looks like saving Will is going to change Jim Hopper. During a live chat with Mogul, actor David Harbour offered up some serious Stranger Things Season 2 teasers about Hopper, and it sounds like everyone's favorite irascible Chief of Police is in for a fall just as he's getting his confidence back. While Harbour didn't go into specifics lest he provoke Netflix into sending the "bad men" after him for spilling spoilers, he did hint at a new direction for Hopper that could lead to major changes for the character.
When a fan asked Harbour about the Chief's Season 2 arc, the actor revealed,
"He saved Will and has found a renewed interest in life. So his arc for Season 2, in my mind, becomes more about butting up against the places where his hero fantasy can't take him. The places where that hero complex may force him to make the wrong decisions. It's a satisfying, completely different journey in Season 2."
Season 2 sounds like it's going to take Hopper to some exciting places as he grapples with Hawkins' new reality. The big question fans should be pondering is whether or not the return of Eleven will be what forces Hopper to realize he may not be the hero he wants to believe he is — at least not yet.
After spending so much time mourning the loss of his daughter, it is about time Hopper decided to engage with the world again. It's just unfortunate his decision to start living again is going to conicide with such a turbulent period for the town. With more monsters looming and the possibility of Will having come back wrong, the Chief is going to have to own his actions in the Season 1 finale, both the good and the bad.
It's not all bad news for Hopper though. During the Mogul chat, Harbour also revealed fans should be on the lookout for a special music scene involving his character in Season 2, and slyly hinted there may be some progress in the Hopper and Joyce relationship, despite Sean Astin joining the cast as Joyce's new boyfriend.
Let's be real, when the Upside Down begins leaking into Hawkins again, Joyce is going to look to Hopper for support since they are the only two adults who truly understand how frightening Hawkins' secret truly is.
Whether it's Will's little slug problem or the return of Eleven that leads Hopper down a dark path in Season 2, you can bet his journey is going to be a harrowing one befitting a hero — at least a reluctant one.
