Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown gives a definitive answer on whether Eleven created the Upside down in the Netflix series.

Summary

• Millie Bobby Brown confirms that Eleven did not create the Upside Down, but rather opened a gateway to it, putting an end to the debate.
• The reveal aligns with the majority opinion, as evidenced by the Russians' prior knowledge of the Upside Down and their own attempts to reach it.
• While the question of Eleven's involvement in the Upside Down is settled, mysteries still remain for Stranger Things season 5, including the reason why the rift remains stuck in 1983 and the true identity of the main villain.

Stranger Things season 4 raised the debate of whether Eleven created the Upside Down and star Millie Bobby Brown has offered a definitive answer to the question. The fourth season of the hit Netflix series picked up six months after the events of season 3 as Eleven and the Byers were adjusting to life in California without their friends and family. Meanwhile, those still living in Hawkins, Indiana found themselves under threat of a dangerous new force killing teenagers in terrifying fashion with seeming ties to the Upside Down.

The fourth Stranger Things season saw a number of major reveals throughout its first seven episodes, including how Hopper survived and was subsequently captured by the Russians and the true nature of the heavily promoted Creel house. One of the biggest reveals was the flashbacks that saw Eleven facing off against Jamie Campbell Bower's Henry Creel at the Hawkins lab after he massacred the other children in his drive to murder those involved with Dr. Brenner's experiments. Eleven would narrowly defeat Henry and send him to the Upside Down, opening the first doorway to the terrifying dimension and putting the events of the series in motion.

What Millie Bobby Brown Said About Eleven Creating The Upside Down

In an interview with Variety for the hit series, Millie Bobby Brown shared her thoughts on the Stranger Things season 4 reveal that Eleven opened the original portal to the Upside Down. When asked whether she was responsible for creating the alternate dimension, Brown offered a definitive answer to the debate that Eleven did not create the Upside Down and that her answer came from the Duffer Brothers themselves. See what Brown said below:

"[The Duffer Brothers] did tell me. She does. She opens the rift. This is too big of a debate for me to answer. I’m so worried. I think — no, no, no. I think that the alternate universe was always there. That is always going to be under Hawkins. I just think she has access to it. I don’t think that she created the Upside Down. No, I think that it was always there, I think she just created a gate to it which no one could before."

Since the Stranger Things season 4 reveal, many fans debated whether Eleven created the Upside Down through her sheer rage in fighting against Henry or if she simply opened a passage to it. Brown's confirmation falls in line with the latter argument, which already held the majority opinion given the Russians' awareness of the Upside Down prior to their interactions with Eleven and having conducted their own experiments to reach it. Additionally, the reveal that the version of Hawkins seen in the Upside Down being stuck in 1983 further confirmed that she only created a copy of the fictional town in the dimension.

What The Upside Down Rift Could Mean For Stranger Things Season 5

Other than the confirmation that Eleven opened the rift, the Stranger Things also showed she was behind Henry's transformation into the devilish Vecna. Stranger Things season 4 solved many mysteries on the show and also showed a little more about the history of The Upside Down. It turned out that Vecna was who has been murdering teenagers in Hawkins and is the main villain in the series - one that Eleven remains responsible for. With that in mind, there are still many mysteries that remain open for Stranger Things season 5.

While the question about whether Eleven created the Upside Down or not was answered, the question still remains about why the rift remains stuck in 1983. One of the main Stranger Things theories is that Will Byers might be responsible for the rift's current state since that was the day that Will disappeared. There is also a good chance that Vecna isn't even the main villain and there is someone in the Upside Down more powerful than he is. Also, while Eleven didn't create the Upside Down, there is a good chance that it looks like Hawkins because Henry/Vecna rebuilt it in the design of the home that he remains conflicted about. Stranger Things season 5 should answer these questions.