'Stranger Things' Season 3 Post-Credits Scene Explained: Cast Says There's 'Hope' for SPOILER! (Exclusive)

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't watched the season three finale of Stranger Things, leave now!

For the first time in Stranger Things history, fans were treated to a cryptic post-credits scene at the very end of the season three finale – and only ET has the exclusive answers straight from the stars about what this could mean for Hopper's finale fate!

The two-minute scene transports viewers to a snow-filled army base in Kamchatka, Russia, where two Russian soldiers are walking through the halls of a prison. One of the men moves to open a heavy cell room door, but the other quickly stops him and the subtitles read, "No, not the American."

The soldiers open up the cell next door and they physically drag a frightened prisoner out of his small, windowless room. The Russian prisoner begins kicking and screaming out, "No! Please! No! Don't!," but the two soldiers drag him down a long flight of stairs before locking him into a dim caged room. "Don't leave me in here," the prisoner pleads as one of the soldiers begins to crank open a large metal door inside the cage.

To the prisoner's horror, a large demogorgon ominously emerges through the door and approaches the panicked prisoner with that signature snarl that Stranger Things fans know all too well. The two-minute scene ends with the demogorgon unleashing a hellish scream and the last frame shows the demon's terrifying mouth open up before he lunges at the prisoner.

This short, but captivating, scene certainly sets up an interesting cliffhanger for the Netflix drama and even the cast is in awe of what this mysterious final moment could mean for a potential fourth season!

Finn Wolfhard was quick to praise the Duffer Brothers for their "Avengers-type post-credits scene" when we caught up with him on the Stranger Things red carpet last week, while Noah Schnapp is hoping that this bonus scene is foreshadowing good news for Hopper fans.

"Oh my god, the ending – it was really sad. I mean, I cried," the 14-year-old actor admitted to ET. "I hope Hopper isn’t fully gone, but I feel like he’ll be coming back. I don't think he’s gone forever."

Following that shocking post-credits scene, we're currently praying to the Duffer Brothers that Hopper somehow survived that treacherous blast and that he could be the mysterious "American" prisoner that the Russian soldiers briefly refer to at the beginning of the bonus scene.

So we decided to go straight to Hopper himself, actor David Harbour, to find out everything he knows about this post-credits scene and if this means our favorite Hawkins police chief could still be alive!

ET: Let’s talk about that post-credits scene!

David Harbour: OK yeah, yeah! [Laughs] I’m very interested in that post-credits scene.

We're very interested as well because when we read the subtitles of the Russian soldiers, they said, "No, not the American." Please tell us that the American prisoner behind that door is Hopper!

I mean, I have no idea! [Laughs] I have no idea! I mean that, of course, is my hope too. It seems pretty crazy though. You know, that machine went off and blew up and Hopper seemed to be trapped there. He did glance around a little bit, but he seemed to be trapped and the machine exploded. And then you cut to, what was it? It starts with a 'K' or something – some town in Russia, right? Where there’s some American and there's some other prisoner. I don't know, I mean it seems strange. I don't know how though. 

It does seem "strange." That’s a good word to use there. 

But hey, guess what? I'm going to do it. I’m going to do it – are you ready for it? I’ve seen stranger things. [Laughs] I’m such a jerk. 

We've heard from the cast that you are the one who has a way with the Duffer Brothers and you get them to tell you things. What have they told you about season four?

Nothing.  [Laughs] They really haven't! Actually this weekend, I’m trying to sit down with them to talk about what’s going on because we didn't get a chance to. We all ran off after shooting [season three] and we haven’t seen each other for a long time and I was like, "Guys, let’s sit down." Actually before this [red carpet], I was like, "Let’s sit down," and they were like, "Oh yeah, man, we can't – we’ve got a thing."

They’ve been dodging me! They've been dodging me for days, so I know nothing! I know as much as you. I've seen the final episode – it’s extraordinary, it’s magnificent. What Hopper does and what happens to him – he acts like the person he is meant to be. And then there is this mystery at the end. I don't really know what’s going to happen, but if you find out from the Duffer Brothers, let me know and have them return my calls!

Can we hold onto hope that Hopper is still out there?

I mean, we should always hold onto hope. We should never let go of hope – but Barb is really dead.

Do you think Hopper could be the "American" hiding in that Russian cell? Share your Stranger Things thoughts with @ETNow on Twitter and don't miss our full interview with David Harbour reacting to Hopper's season three fate!

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