Stranger Things 3 Almost Gave Steve and Robin a Totally Different Ending, According to Maya Hawke
It’s not that Stranger Things season-three characters Robin (played by newcomer Maya Hawke) and Steve (Joe Keery) wouldn’t have made a great couple. They can banter as easily as they can have honest heart-to-heart conversations, and their bond only gets stronger as the season progresses. So it’s easy to see how Stranger Things could have turned that into romance — and, in fact, at one point in season three’s development, that was supposed to happen.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Maya discusses how Robin’s arc evolved during production on season three. Maya tells the newspaper that the decision to nix her dating Steve happened organically.
“Throughout filming, we started to feel like she and [Steve] shouldn’t get together, and that she’s gay. Even when I go back and watch earlier episodes, it just seems like the most obvious decision ever,” she explains, referring to one of the most powerful moments in the season when Robin discloses her sexuality to Steve as they take a breather from the main action.
Speaking with Variety, Maya added more context to the decision to change Robin and Steve’s arc. She explained, “The Duffer brothers and I, and Shawn Levy had a lot of conversations throughout shooting and it wasn’t really until we were shooting episode four and five, I think, that we made the final decision,” she said. “It was kind of a collaborative conversation, and I’m really, really happy with the way that it went.”
The decision to alter Robin’s arc paid off big time, with viewers immediately embracing Robin and loving the way her coming-out scene played during the season. It was especially momentous that in the scene, Steve accepted her and was totally okay with who she said she was.
Maya also expressed to Variety that this is how she hopes the storyline reads, telling the outlet, “Sometimes we can have empathy for people onscreen that we wouldn’t normally have empathy for in real life. If I can hope for anything it’s that maybe some people fell in love with Robin and that helped them fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys.”
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: “Stranger Things” Star Sadie Sink on Show Spoilers, Style Inspirations, and College Plans
Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
