Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things" season two.
"Stranger Things" executive producer Shawn Levy just cleared up one of the biggest burning questions we had after the series' second season. According to Levy, Dr. Brenner, aka Eleven's "papa," is definitely still alive.
Brenner's fate was left uncertain on the season one finale when the Demogorgon leapt onto him — but we never saw a body. Then season two brought his fate into question when Eleven was on the verge of killing an ex-Hawkins Lab employee who told her Brenner was still alive.
In a recent interview with Collider, Shawn Levy confirmed that the man wasn't just lying to save his own skin.
"Whether or not people feel [episode seven] was entirely successful, the Duffers want to take some swings, and they know that they're not gonna please everybody,"Levy said. "But that feeling of the world getting a bit bigger especially coupled with the fact that it now seems clear that Brenner is alive, Brenner is out there."
Levy's confirmation is in line with something "Stranger Things" cocreators The Duffer Brothers said after the first season aired. Here's what Matt Duffer told IGN during an interview in 2016.
I would say that if we were going to kill Brenner … as an audience member watching the show, if that was his death, that would be very unsatisfying to me — when the monster jumps on him and we cut away. He would deserve much more than that as an ending. So yes, there's a possibility of seeing him again.
So will Eleven try to find Brenner on season three? She was clearly terrified of even the fake projection of him that appeared in the second season. But Brenner might come into play if we ever learn about the rest of the children he had kidnapped and experimented on. Eleven could have no choice when it comes to facing her torment er.
For more on this possible storyline and other mysteries, read our breakdown of 13 major questions we had after "Stranger Things" season two.