'Stranger Things' Continues The Problem Of Toys Spoiling Shows And Movies

This article contains SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Pop-culture spoilers are everywhere these days; even if you aren’t on social media, threw your TV in a dumpster, and use a Motorola flip phone from 2002, a major plot point could be spoiled by an innocent visit to your local toy store. As we’ve mentioned before, movies keep blowing big reveals through merchandising tie-ins – and it doesn’t seem like this trend is slowing down any time soon; recently, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 fans were aggrieved to discover that the third act’s reveal of “Super Sonic” was blown by the McDonald’s Happy Meal.

And the new, ultra-expensive “Hot Toys” figure of Doctor Strange (which, with some slight modifications, could also double as a Sherlock or Phil from The Power of the Dog figure) features Stranger’s third eye, giving away something that happens literally in the final few seconds of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Now, seemingly worst of all, is the upcoming Stranger Things edition of Monopoly, the board game that combines the horrors of an alternate dimension full of monsters with the horrors of screaming at your family over the rent increase at Baltic Avenue. Leaked images of the tie-in board game’s cards have been circulating the internet lately, and apparently reveal “crucial plot elements” of the new season, which we’re guessing involves one of the characters winning second place in a beauty contest and turning into a sentient thimble. 

This reveal reportedly annoyed both Netflix and the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, who didn’t know that the game existed and had a “total meltdown” over the spoilers. Thankfully no plot elements were leaked by any of the show’s many other corporate partners – unless the Domino’s delivery guy binges it immediately and just decides to be a jerk. 

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! 

Top Image: Netflix/Amazon