This 'Stranger Things' Theory About Season 3's New Monster Could Be Onto Something

The exhilarating release of the Stranger Things Season 3 trailer on March 20 left fans with so much to puzzle over. The creators were brilliant, presenting all the action against a backdrop of 80s music that brought up nostalgia and a feeling of fun — all before releasing the new horror that's haunting Hawkins, Indiana. And one Stranger Things Season 3 theory suggests that it’s actually a familiar face that will be Hawkins' newest threat.

As HuffPost previously reported, the moment flits by ever so quickly in the trailer. But when you look closely, it’s also the moment when things turn from colorful and fun to darker themes. And what some Stranger Things fans are talking about is a moment when Billy — Season 2's bully villain — seems to be suffering some kind of transformation that might just turn him into this season’s new monster.

Billy’s first appearance in the trailer reveals that he’s now a lifeguard at Hawkins’ very busy pool, where he’s garnering plenty of female attention. But when we next see him, he’s struggling with pain while he showers, and looking at a pretty nasty gash on his arm. The wound seems to bear the telltale tendrils that are a repeating theme with Stranger Things monsters.

According to ComicBook.com, there is also a quick shot of an eyeball infected with the same black tendrils. Is it Billy’s? Could very well be...

Further promoting the theory is the fact that Netflix has released the episode titles for the upcoming season, and two of them seem very telling. The third episode, for instance, is called “The Case of The Missing Lifeguard,” while the seventh is “The Bite”.

So, everyone's favorite stepbrother-to-hate just might be the one who is stalking Hawkins’ residents this year. Eeek...

But, personally, I kind of hope not, because it would be a little sad to have another kid taken over by the Upside Down, à la Will from the first two seasons. But, according to ScreenRant, the Mind Flayer from Season 2 (aka the Shadow Monster) has not, in fact, been entirely vanquished, so it’s still very much a threat. Oh boy...

A companion book to the series called Stranger Things:Worlds Turned Upside Down revealed, according to ScreenRant: "The Mind Flayer hasn't lost interest in Hawkins either. The tentacled creature continues to loom near Hawkins inside the Upside Down, and its malevolent influence isn't absent from the new season."

As such, Stranger Things fans seems convinced on this "Billy could be the Monster" theory...

One thing we do know for sure, though, is that, as executive producer Shawn Levy confirmed to Glamour, Will won’t be bearing the brunt of the drama this time around. “We’re going to give Will a break. We’re not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row," he told Glamour. "He’ll be dealing with stuff but he won’t be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah Schapp to play."

So does that mean Billy is on the hook for all the horror? Based on a glimpse of the new monster in the trailer, if he is, he’s in for quite a ride. Hopefully the kids can work together once again to save Hawkins and maybe even reform a second teenage bad boy.