Maya Hawke Wants Her Stranger Things Character To Either Die Or Get A Spin-Off

"Stranger Things" is one season away from a finale, and everyone is wondering what the end of the series has in store for breakout stars like Maya Hawke. The actress is a bonafide Hollywood legacy as the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, but she proved that talent runs in the family with her incredible performance as Robin. Hawke did not join the cast til the show's third season, but her character quickly became a fan favorite. With the end of the hugely popular Netflix series on the horizon, Hawke is considering what the end will look like for Robin — and it might not be the end for her just yet.

Robin entered the world of "Stranger Things" as the ice cream stand coworker of popular-jock-turned-humble-hero Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery. Steve and Robin are icy towards one another at first but soon develop a hilarious and intimate rapport. They even entertain a will-they-won't-they dynamic until Robin comes out to Steve as a lesbian.

Fans quickly came to adore Hawke as Robin, just as the Duffer Brothers had. Sadly, this love makes it hard to say goodbye to the character. "The reason that they write so beautifully for me and for everyone else is because they fall in love with their actors and their characters, and they don't want to kill them," Hawke explained to Rolling Stone. This is a "beautiful quality," the actress admitted, but it presents the writers with a big question as the end of the series draws near: with even more dangerous battles to come, will every main character really survive to the end? 

If Robin has to die, Hawke knows how she wants to go.

The Duffers don't like killing off their characters, but with a final season coming and so many near-death experiences under their belt, at least one major death seems inevitable. "Well, it's the last season, so people are probably going to die," Hawke admitted. The actress doesn't mind if it's her character on the chopping block, but she has one request. "I would love to die and get my hero's moment. I'd love to die with honor, as any actor would," she said.

There is one other path for Robin that Hawke would be open to — but it comes with a condition. "Normally I wouldn't really be a proponent of a spin-off, but if I got to do it with Joe Keery, I would do anything," the actress conceded. "He's so funny and wonderful and smart, and he's got great boundaries. He's an excellent coworker, and I would do anything with him."

Hawke isn't the only one that loves working with Keery. The Duffers were so fond of the actor that they completely transformed his character, Steve, from a two-dimensional villain into an unexpected hero. Steve was actually supposed to be killed off in the first season, the Duffers revealed to Netflix. But the creators unexpectedly "fell in love with [Keery] during the making of season one," and gave Steve a heroic arc instead, Ross Duffer told THR.

A spin-off doesn't feel totally out of the question since the actors and their characters are beloved by the fans and creators of "Stranger Things" alike. Hawke and Keery clearly work incredibly well together, as is exhibited in pinnacle scenes like Robin's coming out. The moment speaks for itself, but the Duffers also remember how powerful it was to film. "It was just one of those things that resonated with everybody on the crew," Matt recalled to EW.

As the offspring of two indie darlings, it makes sense that Hawke would remain loyal to the show's creative integrity rather than bending to fan service. She knows major characters might have to die and spin-offs are almost always worse than the original. Still, she appreciates that the Duffers get so attached to their characters and their actors. "I love the way that the Duffer Brothers love their actors," she explained. "I think that's a beautiful quality that they have, and I wouldn't wish it away."

The Duffers really do love their actors, and their compassion for their characters and the people that play them becomes clearer with every season. They loved Keery so much that they kept him alive for four seasons longer than they originally intended! Whether they choose to kill a character off or extend their story into another series, their arcs in the final season of "Stranger Things" will be just like the rest of the series — compassionate, thoughtful, and full of dimension. Either way, Hawke will most likely get her wish.