David Harbour revealed that the look of Stranger Things character Hopper was changed for season 4 due to his role in Marvel Studios' Black Widow. The first film installment in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes viewers back to the time between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War as Scarlett Johansson's titular heroine grapples with secrets from her past and reunites with those connected to it to put a stop to a dangerous global conspiracy. Created by The Duffer Brothers, Netflix's sci-fi horror drama centers on a group of teenagers in a small Indiana town as they face off against supernatural threats from the mysterious realm of the Upside Down with the help of telekinetic teen Eleven.
Season 3 of the hit series ended with the seeming sacrificial demise of Harbour's fan-favorite police chief and father figure Hopper in the Russian underground facility. However, its post-credits scene teased an American prisoner in the Kamchatka region, leading most to rightfully speculate Hopper had survived and was captured by the enemy. The first teaser trailer for season 4 confirmed the character's survival with a glimpse at a mostly clean-shaven Hopper. However, it appears this may not have been the original plan for the protagonist's appearance.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live, Harbour opened up about his work on the highly-anticipated next chapters for both the MCU and Netflix hit series. When reflecting on both character's time spent in a Russian prison, the 46-year-old star discussed their different looks and revealed Hopper's appearance came from a desire to distinguish it from the comic blockbuster. Read what Harbour had to say below:
"I had started growing out my hair, but then I got cast in this other thing to play a Russian prisoner. I had this long hair and this beard and I was big and I thought, 'I can't be the same guy with long hair and a beard in the same prison.' So I was taking pictures of the [Black Widow] set unbeknownst to anyone and sending them to The Duffer Brothers, making sure they didn't use any of the same colors as the set and the look was different and the outfits were different. I kept sending these photos and finally at the end I had all this hair and beard and we had planned to do it this way, but I was like, 'Guys we can't do this, I'm coming out with this Marvel movie, I can't have the beard and the hair.' So we came up with a whole different look for him, we had him shave his head."
Across the first three seasons of the series, Harbour's Hopper has garnered love from fans for several reasons, from his relatable, down-to-earth persona to the Magnum P.I. outfits and mustache of the most recent chapter. With season 3 having moved away from some of what made Hopper great, the design change of shaving his hair and beard may prove advantageous in exploring the character's growth throughout season 4 after being a Russian prisoner for the unknown time since fans last saw the character. While a full head of hair and beard may make sense for wasting away in a Cold War-era foreign prison, the decision to ensure fans will be able to differentiate both Hopper and the Red Guardian is a creative move.
Though it initially proved a pretty emotional moment for both Hopper and the rest of the characters, the rug pull reveal of his survival has divided some Stranger Things fans on whether it made his choice unimportant or all the more powerful. With production having wrapped on season 4 in March, audiences will likely have some time to wait before any new images or teasers of the next chapter arrives. For the time being, viewers can look forward to the debut of Harbour in the MCU when Black Widow hits theaters next month.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
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Reviewed by Riyad
on
June 02, 2021
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