After that explosive finale of Stranger Things, it felt like Hawkins had finally earned a breather. Vecna was defeated, the Upside Down threat neutralized, and the gang even found time for one last nostalgic Dungeons & Dragons session in the Wheelers’ basement before symbolically passing the torch. But if there is one thing this universe loves, it is expanding the party roster just when you think the story is done.

Enter Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, which is introducing a brand-new face to the Hawkins mix, and yes, Nikki Baxter is already raising questions.

Strutting off the Marty Supreme's ping pong table, Odessa A’zion has stepped in to voice Nikki Baxter in the animated spin-off of Stranger Things. Collider dropped the news during their special spring preview, announcing Odessa A’zion as part of the lineup for this fresh chapter hitting Netflix on April 23, 2026.

Showrunner Eric Robles opened up about this enigmatic addition, describing her as a fourteen-year-old newcomer from the East Coast who has bounced around places. She is warm and steadfast, bold enough to leverage her striking build and edgy punk style to fend off any troublemakers in her path. 

The main show wrapped up its ten-year run with a bang in season five, stirring mixed feelings among fans, but the adventure rolls on. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 offers a vibrant peek into the town and its heroes, tossing in novel dangers, unfamiliar faces, and glimpses of what beloved characters did during those gaps between seasons. 

Robles noted they crafted Nikki Baxter to draw in fresh audiences to the wild Stranger Things realm. She shows up in Hawkins during a crucial lull, after the shady government plots, hidden truths, odd happenings, and creatures that plagued the small Indiana spot for two seasons seem settled. 

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Even though set in the same universe, Tales from 85' aims to delve into a fresh story, trailing a different tangent from the original.

Collider also unveiled a batch of exclusive, glowing neon posters featuring Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Eleven, Will, and Nikki, making the countdown to the Upside Down return feel electric. Taking the baton from the actors of the original, the beloved characters will now be voiced by Lucas Diaz, Braxton Quinney, Elisha Williams, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Ben Plessala, and Odessa A'zion, respectively. 

Fresh snow covers the streets as the troop slips into simple joys; however, the serenity can be sensed, will not last. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 skips recycling old foes. The animated show seems ready to broaden Hawkins' lore in ways the audience has not seen, moreover, with a fresh outsider lens to challenge ideas of security, routine, and whether the place’s horrors ever truly faded. 

Nikki Baxter sounds like the perfect spark to shake things up, and Odessa A’zion voicing is bound to add that edge it seems to be vouching for. 

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Are you excited for Odessa A'zion's entry into Stranger Things: Tales from '85? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.