The first episode of Stranger Things 4 is titled 'The Hellfire Club'

7 November 2019, 14:43

By Katie Louise Smith

The Hellfire Club is a reference to X-Men's Dark Phoenix comic saga, and could have something to do with Eleven and her powers.

The release date of Stranger Things 4 might be almost a whole year away but yesterday (Nov 6), we got an all important update about the fourth season in the form of the first episode title.

In case you weren't aware, November 6th is now known as Stranger Things Day because it's the day that Will Byers went missing in 1983 and started this whole shabang. In celebration, Netflix released previously unseen bloopers for all three seasons of the show and revealed the title for episode one of season 4.

READ MORE: Stranger Things 4 might not be released until early 2021

Shared by the Stranger Things writers' room, the image revealed the front page of a very thicc script alongside the caption: "looking for new members... are you in?."

Season 4, episode 1 will be called 'The Hellfire Club' but um, what the hell does that mean!?

So, let's get into it: What is The Hellfire Club?

In the past, Stranger Things episode titles have been quite literal or have clear references to events within the episode so fans are already speculating about what that specific club name means.

Seeing as Will and El moved away at the end of season 3 with Joyce, the party as we know it is no more so it's likely that there's going to be some new clubs and parties forming. Maybe it's a rival party that threatens the gang back in Hawkins? Or maybe angsty teenage Will goes emo and starts his own party to rival his old one back home?

READ MORE: The Stranger Things 4 teaser has already sparked some major theories

The Hellfire Club is also, more importantly, a reference to X-Men. In the comics, they're an elite group of people who "seek to influence world events, in accordance with their own agenda". The club and its Inner Circle were introduced in the 80's "The Dark Phoenix Saga", attempting to subvert the X-Men's Jean Grey. That same saga, by the way, was also referenced in the very first episode of season 1 when Will and Dustin compete to win a copy of Uncanny X-Men 134.

Eleven has often been compared to Jean Grey in terms of her powers so could it possible that a certain group of people (say...the Russians) are trying to entice El away from Joyce and her normal life to be used as a weapon again?

In history, 'The Hellfire Club' is also the name of several exclusive clubs for "persons of quality" who wished to take part in socially perceived immoral acts that existed back in the day in Britain and Ireland.

Season 4 has not officially begun filming yet. Multiple sources, including Noah Schnapp and Gaten Matarazzo, say that it is scheduled to start in January. Until then, we likely won't get any more spoilers about what's ahead so it's time to start speculating and theorising, kids!