Meet a New Stranger Things Character, Maya Hawke’s Robin, Ahead of Season Three’s Summer 2019 Debut

The Stranger Things cast and crew are “back at it, nerds,” having started production on season three back in April. In the lead-up to the new season’s as-of-yet undated release, it’s been one exciting summer for fans of the show, with several big announcements, including Netflix partnerships for a spinoff comic book, novel and videogame.

Now, Netflix has officially kicked off the marketing campaign and released a first-look image of Maya Hawke as a new character named Robin in the forthcoming season. Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, plays Jo March in Masterpiece’s Little Women miniseries. Other new additions to the show’s cast include Cary Elwes and Jake Busey.

#StrangerThings Season 3 First Look: Say ahoy to Steve and Robin (played by new cast member, Maya Hawke) https://t.co/zLZM6Gzo6Upic.twitter.com/xE5Uq4uqeS

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) July 16, 2018

Hawke’s character is described as a bored, “alternative girl who is equal parts sharp and playful,” and is looking to put a little more excitement into her life. As is typical of the show, Robin gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles upon a dark secret in Hawkins.

Robin is featured alongside Joe Keery’s character Steve in a new video, a retro commercial advertising a fictional shopping center called the Starcourt Mall. The mall is the latest edition to the fictional town at the center of the show and includes an ice cream shop called Scoops Ahoy, where Steve and Robin work together.

The video suggests that the mall will be the central location for all things supernatural in season three and while the introduction of Hawke’s character is exciting, the trailer also more or less confirms the release date of the new season. The final tagline says Starcourt Mall is “coming next summer” and if we’re any good at inferring, we’re guessing that means Stranger Things will be back in the summer of 2019. Watch it below for yourself.