Stranger Things' Season 4 Prequel Focuses On Eddie Munson - But What's It About?
When Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) arrived in Hawkins, Indiana for the fourth season of "Stranger Things," he instantly became beloved by fans for his beaming smile and the fast friendship he forms with Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo). Little was known about the metalhead's backstory other than the fact that he had a troubled relationship with his father, but an upcoming novel will help to fill in some of Eddie's history.
Entertainment Weekly published a sneak peek of the cover of the book, which will be published this Halloween with the title "Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus." The novel is written by Caitlin Schneiderhan, one of the show's writers, and takes place in 1984, two years before the events of "Stranger Things" Season 4.
In the novel, Eddie meets a record producer named Paige, a Hawkins native who escaped Indiana and made it big in the Los Angeles music industry. She is impressed by Eddie and his band, Corroded Coffin, and asks him to provide her with a demo tape. But according to a Tudum press release, the offer presents some issues for Eddie.
"Just one problem," the statement reads. "Recording costs money. Money Eddie doesn't have. But he's willing to do whatever it takes: even if that means relying on his old man, Al Munson. His dad just stumbled back into his life, with another dubious scheme up his sleeve, and yet Eddie knows this is his only option to make enough dough in enough time. It's a risk, but if it pays off he will finally have a one-way ticket out of Hawkins."
Joseph Quinn used several influences to build the character of Eddie Munson
Eddie Munson's emotional death in the Season 4 finale means his dreams of musical stardom will ultimately go unrealized no matter what happens in the novel, but fans will undoubtedly be eager to learn more about Eddie when the book is released this fall.
Joseph Quinn spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about all the creative influences and on-set staff that came together to make Eddie Munson such a popular and heroic figure in the "Stranger Things" universe. He even dove into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and although he was not enamored with the game at first, he credits his first Dungeon Master with turning him around. "The first game I played was when we did a bit of press in L.A. a few months ago," Quinn said. "It's all depending on your Dungeon Master, and we had a great one."
Quinn also said he listened to a lot of heavy metal music from the 1980s, particularly Metallica and Black Sabbath, and credited two members of the "Stranger Things" backstage team with creating Eddie's signature look. "It was very collaborative with [costume designer] Amy [Parris] and [department head hair] Sarah [Hindsgaul]," Quinn said. "We had about three weeks of trying different looks. I wanted to have lots of rings. I kept the Reeboks. I was very grateful for the opportunity to have a bit of say."