Netflix has a habit of sneaking familiar faces into its parallel universes, sometimes so subtle you blink and miss them. Stranger Things, with its Demogorgons, bikes, and '80s angst, thrives on secrets that only obsessive fans notice.

Chase Stokes, now synonymous with sun-soaked drama and treasure hunts, almost brushed against Hawkins in a way that fans can only imagine. How close did it really get?

While Hawkins hides its secrets in shadowy alleys, Chase Stokes’ near-brush with the town hints at a story only the boldest fans could even picture.

Chase Stokes did appear in Stranger Things season 1, though his screen time could fit on a postage stamp. He played Reed in Episode 6, Chapter Six: The Monster.

Clad in a blue ’80s puffy vest, he flung a quick insult at Jonathan Byers about Nancy Wheeler. Brief as it was, this cameo quietly marked Stokes’ first foray into the Netflix multiverse, a tiny spark before the fire of fame.

Before that blink-and-you-miss-it moment, Stokes auditioned for Steve Harrington, the role Joe Keery turned into a legend. He later admitted he forgot all his lines.

Yet the Duffer Brothers still gave him a small part, proving the universe has a twisted sense of irony. This near-miss is a lesson in what-ifs: even stumbles in Hawkins can catapult a career to bigger screens.

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As Hawkins missed out, Outer Banks scooped him up, turning small-screen flirts into massive teen-hero moments that no puffy vest could ever contain.

While his Stranger Things cameo was brief, Chase Stokes transformed into John B. Routledge in Netflix’s Outer Banks, one of the ultimate teen adventures on the platform. His eyes sparkled, while his loyalty and fearless streak lit up every scene, making him totally impossible to ignore.

He mapped romance, danger, and the mystery of his missing father with fearless swagger that turned him into a teen heartthrob. Outer Banks elevated him from minor cameo to series-defining lead.

Today, Stokes’ career continues its upward surge. Outer Banks has returned for season 4 and is on the verge of its final season 5, promising more treasure hunts, Pogue-versus-Kook drama, and John B. Routledge's relentless chase of adventure.

That fleeting Hawkins cameo is now just a footnote in a growing story. Chase Stokes proves that sometimes, tiny beginnings in Netflix shadows can ignite full-blown stardom.

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What are your thoughts on Chase Stokes’ journey from a blink-and-you-miss-it Hawkins cameo to Outer Banks mainstay? Let us know in the comments below.