Odessa A’zion’s STRANGER THINGS: TALES FROM ’85 role revealed

Netflix has revealed who actress Odessa A’zion will be voicing in the new animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. She will be playing the new character of Nikki Baxter, a lonely punk transfer student who joins the Hawkins gang on the show, which will take place between seasons two and three of the original series, and premiere on the streamer on Thursday, April 23.

A’zion, 25, describes Nikki as fulfilling the role of a Dungeons & Dragons barbarian in the group, saying, “They had everything, and she was the missing puzzle piece. You need a little muscle in that crew.” She adds Nikki “wants to stick up for people who have trouble sticking up for themselves, and I think she’s a badass for that.”

Showrunner Eric Robles states Nikki is the surrogate for the show’s younger target audience, explaining, “She comes into this world completely new. She’s got her own issues that she’s been dealing with, and it’s these kids who step into her world in a sense.” He had numerous conversations with series creators Matt and Ross Duffer about the character, to ensure she “feels like a [true] addition to the cast.”

A’zion’s profile has increased greatly since Tales From ’85 was ordered to series in 2023. The daughter of Pamela Adlon, and sister of Gideon Adlon (both of whom are veteran voice actresses), she was nominated for a BAFTA and an Actor (formerly Screen Actors Guild) Award for her performance in last year’s Marty Supreme, and also starred on HBO’s I Love LA, which has been renewed for a second season.

Tales From ’85, which marks the first official Stranger Things cartoon, will feature an all-new cast as the original characters (including Jeremy Jordan as Steve Harrington), as well as Lou Diamond Phillips and Janeane Garofalo in still undisclosed roles. It’ll kick off a number of upcoming spin-offs for the series, which wrapped up after nine years and five seasons on December 31, 2025, including a recording of the play The First Shadow, which’ll presumably be released to celebrate the tenth anniversary (July 15) or Stranger Things Day (November 6) later this year.

In the meantime, you can check out the rest of the new character posters, and watch the trailer for Tales From ’85 below: