When Stranger Things ended its third season on a mid-credits scene revealing that the Russians had an American prisoner, many fans assumed it was Jim Hopper (played by David Harbour). This was after he was seemingly killed in an explosion in the finale. Now, actor David Harbour has sent fans into turmoil with an Instagram post seemingly referencing the moment.
Did David Harbour just confirm that Hopper is not ‘the American’?
Stranger Things season three left fans devastated when series favourite Hopper was killed off in an explosion in Hawkins.
In the final episode, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) was left with no choice but to blow up the room he was in when he was trapped trying to stop the Russians reopening the gate to the Upside Down.
The episode then jumped to three months later as the rest of the characters seemed to mourn his loss.
However, in the middle of the credits of the finale episode, the drama cut to a secret base in Kamchatka, Russia.
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Viewers watched as Russian guards were seen speaking about which prisoner should be sacrificed to the Demogorgon they have imprisoned.
In the short clip, one of the officials says to the other “No, not the American,” which led fans to speculate on who this could possibly be.
Many were convinced this was Hopper after some spotted he didn’t actually seem to appear in a freeze-frame of the explosion.
Some thought this could mean that he had headed through the Upside Down, while the Russians may found the way to open the gate, landing him in Russia.
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Previously actor David Harbour was among those who were hopeful that the character was still alive.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this year, when he was asked if Hopper was really dead, he said: “Well, did you see the post-credits scene?”
Although, the actor seemed to go back on this with a cryptic post on Instagram this week.
He posted an image of him without his signature Hopper moustache embracing a headless mannequin as he said farewell to a “big bold bright burly hope of Russia”.
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The full caption read: “Goodbye long, scraggly, surprisingly soft, Walt Whitman beard. Adieu, beige hotel room.
“Goodnight sweet strange mannequin I never knew what to do with in the corner of the room.
“Farewell Alexi, you big bold bright burly hope of Russia, you complicated tortured soul, you guardian of the red.”
This sent fans into turmoil that he was confirming that Hopper was not the ‘American’ that the Russians had previously mentioned.
One fan posted: “How are you going to be the prisoner in season four now?”
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Another added: “You’re so confusing. Stop it right now.”
While a third wrote: “I’m scared, WTF does that mean?”
However, the post was not quite what fans thought it was and was instead the actor lamenting the end of his role in the new Black Widow film.
In the upcoming Marvel spin-off, Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov or the Red Guardian alongside Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff.
Fans can, therefore, rejoice that Hopper is still in the running as the Russians prisoner for now.
Stranger Things seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Netflix.