Stranger Things season three introduced an evil Russian organisation as its new antagonist this year.
Jim Hopper (played by David Harbour) spent a huge chunk of the season alongside Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman) concocting a plan to thwart the evildoers.
However it did not all go perfectly, as Hopper became trapped in a vicious fight to the death with one of the Russian’s henchmen.
After eventually winning the fight, Hopper became trapped and was forced to stay where he was as Joyce destroyed the machine – killing him in turn.
But fans of the show simply aren’t convinced Hopper is dead, and have been theorising over how he could have survived.
One of the theories states that Hopper and Murray were really in cahoots together all along, and planned for Hopper to fake his own death.
Knowing the Russians would stop at nothing to come after those that destroyed their multi-million dollar machine in Hawkins, Indiana, Hopper and Murray may have become fearful of the organisation looking to kill Joyce or Eleven (Millie Bobby-Brown) as revenge.
With this in mind, Hopper may have skulked away from the situation in order to subtly track down the leaders of this company.
Hopper faking his own death would also take away any threat that may have been pointed towards both Joyce and Eleven.
Although neither Joyce nor Eleven would be happy with this decision, it would certainly shake things up for the upcoming fourth edition of the show.
But if Hopper is in fact alive, will the fourth season follow him attempting to take down the company from the inside?
Or will it show him hiding out in Hawkins and working with Murray to stop the Russians from returning to his home town?
The showrunners themselves have hinted towards the return of Hopper in the next season, as pointed out by a number of fans.
One wrote: “I have a #StrangerThings theory based on something Hopper says to the Russian goon, Steve’s favourite #StarWars movie and Han Solo.
“‘I’ll see you in hell’ is a direct quote from Han Solo in Empire Strikes Back, the film where Han was frozen in carbonate and taken to another world.
“Steve’s favourite Star Wars movie? The one with the teddy bears, aka Return of the Jedi…”
Return of the Jedi is also the movie which sees one of its heroes, Han Solo, being defrosted from his carbonite prison after the Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger saw him potentially dead.
Could this then mean that Hopper is the Han Solo of Stranger Things?
If so, he may have been “killed off” in season three just to be brought back in season four.
Stranger Things season three is available on Netflix now.