Stranger Things cast members have experience elsewhere (and more roles to come) -- but not a lot of cardboard just yet
This entry was posted on June 7, 2018
.Warning: ini_set() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/blowtest/public_html/app/code/community/Fishpig/Wordpress/Addon/PluginShortcodeWidget/Helper/Core.php(1) : eval()'d code on line 268
Warning: ini_set() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/blowtest/public_html/app/code/community/Fishpig/Wordpress/Addon/PluginShortcodeWidget/Helper/Core.php(1) : eval()'d code on line 268
Warning: ini_set() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/blowtest/public_html/app/code/community/Fishpig/Wordpress/Addon/PluginShortcodeWidget/Helper/Core.php(1) : eval()'d code on line 268
The cultural phenomenon known as Stranger Things is coming to cardboard soon with the supernatural coming-of-age tale getting the Topps treatment beginning in October.
The full final details are still to come for 2018 Topps Stranger Things trading cards -- most notably how many hits per hobby box and which cast members are signing autographs for the set (see all of the early details so far right here) -- we've opted to take a look at the key cast members for the first season of the hit series from Netflix.
It might surprise you to see what some of this series' stars have already done -- and what's to come soon -- and then to ponder the power of this set in the future if the autograph list includes many of them and, atop that, there's widespread demand. (That potential is scarier than a visit from The Demogorgon or a call from Will Byers.)
Winona Ryder … aka Joyce Byers
Twitter: None Instagram: None
She may not have a social media presence, but she’s had a big place on the big screen for decades now with two Oscar nominations and plenty of other honors in her 30-plus year career. Among Ryder's earlier credits? Lucas, Beetlejuice, Heathers, Great Balls of Fire! and Edward Scissorhands — and that’s from just the first five years of her career. Since then? Tack on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Reality Bites, The Age of Innocence, Little Women, Alien Resurrection, Girl Interrupted, A Scanner Darkly, Star Trek (Spock’s mom!), Black Swan and Stranger Things. There’s a little bit of everything in there — a number of huge hits — but trading card appearances aren’t included for the most part. (Topps’ 1992 Dracula set is about all that comes to mind.) This new set will change that a bit -- and a certified autograph here would be huge.
--
David Harbour ... aka Jim Hopper
Twitter: @DavidKHarbour Instagram: dkharbour
You may not know his name from beyond Stranger Things, but he’s got a ton of past credits over the past 16 years in film and TV and you probably have seen him before. Among his past credits? Varying roles in War of the Worlds, Brokeback Mountain, Law & Order, Pan Am, Snitch, Manhattan, Rake, The Newsroom, State of Affairs, The Green Hornet, Suicide Squad, Sleepless and Quantum of Solace. That last one -- the heavily carded James Bond universe -- meant something to collect and even a pair of certified autographs that doesn’t include the flashiest sig. But, hey, do you have an autographed card? He’ll also be taking on the title role in the next Hellboy movie coming next year after a pair of dazzling but under-appreciated films with Ron Perlman in the role.
--
Millie Bobby Brown ... aka Eleven
Twitter: @milliebbrown Instagram: milliebobbybrown
This 14-year-old is arguably the biggest among the iconic kid cast here, but she’s had a number of past roles before taking on the Eggo-loving and powerful-but-quiet Eleven. She was also in Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, Intruders, NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy. She’ll also be found in a pair of upcoming Godzilla movies when that franchise returns next year. Her third-party-authenticated autographs are strong sellers on eBay and should be among the top sigs from the young stars, too, with this new set from Topps. She was the only autograph teased for the set with the initial news -- but she'll be joined by others in the cast for sure.
--
Finn Wolfhard ... aka Mike Wheeler
Twitter: @FinnSkata Instagram: finnwolfhardofficial
This 15-year-old has a number of upcoming roles, but also a few others beyond this iconic series. He played Richie Tozer in the return of Stephen King's It last year and is rumored to be back for It: Chapter Two. He’s also got voice work for The Addams Family and Carmen Sandiego on the way per IMDb. Among his other credits is an episode of Supernatural a few years ago but that season was long after the card sets there. This set should include a good cardboard presence for him.
--
Gaten Matarazzo ... aka Dustin Henderson
Twitter: @GatenM123 Instagram: gatenm123
This 15-year-old had just one TV role before Stranger Things, an episode of The Blacklist in 2015, but he’s also “on the team” in the Katy Perry video for "Swish Swish." His iconic role in this series is one that helps reinforce some of the odes to The Goonies and Stand By Me in little ways — and his heavy number of credits/appearances as just himself in the wake of Stranger Things have established him in pop culture a bit beyond simply this series. His cardboard here should be popular.
--
Caleb McLaughlin ... aka Lucas Sinclair
Twitter: @calebmclaughlin Instagram: therealcalebmclaughlin
This 16-year-old has a number of TV credits before Stranger Things that include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Shades of Blue, Blue Bloods and even “young Ricky Bell” in The New Edition Story. He even played Young Simba in The Lion King on Broadway after he studied dance at The Harlem School of the Arts.
--
Natalia Dyer ... aka Nancy Wheeler
Twitter: @NataliaDyer Instagram: nattyiceofficial
This 21-year-old had her first role as Clarissa Granger in Hannah Montana: The Movie along with Miley Cyrus back in 2009. She has a number of movie appearances, including a number where she’s the lead, but her breakout role is in this series. While she plays a high-schooler here, she's currently a student at New York University. This collector could see autographs from the older teens being just as popular as the younger kids in the new Topps set.
--
Shannon Purser ... aka Barb
Twitter: @shannonpurser Instagram: shannonpurser
Barb’s whereabouts was one the key mysteries for much of Season 1, but since taking on that role Purser has found herself among the cast of Riverdale in a number of episodes as well as Rise and doing voice work for Final Space on TBS. Later this year, she takes on the title role in the comedy Sierra Burgess is a Loser, a film that includes Lea Thompson, Chrissy Metz and Alan Ruck among its cast. Could we see more of Barb in later seasons here? Literally anything is possible -- right? -- but she'll definitely have a place in a Season 1 card set.
--
Charlie Heaton ... aka Jonathan Byers
Twitter: None Instagram: charlie.r.heaton
He may be best-known for Stranger Things right now, but he’s been cast as Cannonball in the upcoming movie version of Marvel’s The New Mutants -- an X-Men franchise spin-off -- set to arrive next year. His past credits include TV spots in DCI Banks, Vera and Casualty as well as a few film roles. Among those? Shut In with Naomi Watts and Oliver Platt.
--
Cara Buono ... aka Karen Wheeler
Twitter: @CaraBuono Instagram: carabuono
She’s one of the moms in Stranger Things and she’s been in a ton of past TV roles and films. Among them? Gladiator, Waterland, The Cowboy Way, Law & Order, CSI, Hulk (the 2003 version with Eric Bana), Third Watch, The Sopranos, The Dead Zone, ER, Mad Men and Person of Interest. She also has directed and produced films as well. The Sopranos had cardboard -- but before her time with the series.
--
Joe Keery ... aka Steve Harrington
Twitter: @joe_keery Instagram: uncle_jezzy
This 26-year-old had TV spots in Sirens, Chicago Fire and Empire before a few film roles that included Molly’s Game last year. Among his upcoming roles are Slice with Zazie Beetz (Domino!) and Chance The Rapper as well as Beef with Timothy Olyphant and Jai Courtney. As for cardboard, he’s got a Trading Cards appearance from artist Cuyler Smith -- an homage to this character -- but nothing else ... until the Topps set arrives.
--
Noah Schnapp ... aka Will Byers
Twitter: @noah_schnapp Instagram: noahschnapp
This 13-year-old was the missing mystery kid in Season 1, but we’ve seen more of him in the episodes beyond those where he "spoke" through lights and phone calls. Away from Stranger Things, Schnapp's first role was in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies where he played Tom Hanks’ son. He also voiced Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie. Some of his future credits include Waiting For Anya with Anjelica Houston and Intensive Care, a film with Katharine McPhee, Mira Sorvino and Lena Olin among its cast. His presence in Season 2 is truly large, so the interest in his cards should be interesting -- and we should see more of him in future sets after this first one from Topps.
--
Matthew Modine ... aka Martin Brenner
Twitter: @MatthewModine Instagram: matthewmodine
The longest-running actor of the bunch here, he’s been seen in TV and movies since the early 1980s and his roles include Vision Quest (additional marketing appearances in a pair of Madonna videos for that one), Full Metal Jacket, Married to the Mob, Gross Anatomy, Pacific Heights, Cutthroat Island, Any Given Sunday, The West Wing, Law & Order: SVU, Transporter 2, The Bedford Diaries, Weeds and The Dark Knight Rises. While we’ll not likely see him in future Stranger Things episodes — though you never know — he’s got plenty of other appearances coming after the success of this franchise. He even appeared as baseball Hall of Famer Honus Wagner in The Winning Season, a TNT movie released in 2004 — it’s got “prop” baseball cards to go with his 2005 Playoff Prestige Fans of The Game card appearance and certified autographs.
Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.
Warning: ini_set() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/blowtest/public_html/app/code/community/Fishpig/Wordpress/Addon/PluginShortcodeWidget/Helper/Core.php(1) : eval()'d code on line 268
Warning: ini_set() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/blowtest/public_html/app/code/community/Fishpig/Wordpress/Addon/PluginShortcodeWidget/Helper/Core.php(1) : eval()'d code on line 268