Although his fate at the end of the first season is a bit of a mystery, the antagonist might just reappear in new episodes in a surprising way. So, in case you need a major refresher on the character of Dr. Brenner, here are all of your questions, answered.
Who is Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things?
Brenner is one of the first characters audiences meet in Stranger Things Season 1, and he doesn’t give a good first impression. Brenner works at Hawkins Lab, where he runs programs with children as test subjects, forcing them to go through inhuman experiments in the hopes that they develop superpowers. He is intense and manipulative, without any obvious morals. In Season 1, Brenner is trying to further develop the psychic abilities of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who encounters a strange monster during one experiment. Despite being scared, Brenner pushes her to go further, which results in a portal to the Upside Down opening up. Eleven is able to escape the lab, thus setting off the chain of events that lead to everything happening in Season 4.
Who plays Dr. Martin Brenner in Stranger Things?
The character Brenner in Stranger Things is played by Matthew Modine, who has been in a number of notable projects throughout his long acting career. Some well-known films you might’ve seen him in are Full Metal Jacket, Cutthroat Island, The Dark Knight Rises, And The Band Played On and more. He has also acted on television, with his most notable roles being in Weeds and Proof.
Is Dr. Martin Brenner dead in Stranger Things?
At the end of Stranger Things Season 1, Brenner’s fate is left up in the air when he is attacked by the creature from the Upside Down. Eleven assumes he’s dead, but in Season 2, another character hints that Brenner likely survives the encounter.
Is Dr. Martin Brenner Eleven’s real dad?
The identity of Eleven’s dad is still a mystery. In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Eleven learns that her mother is a woman named Terry Ives (Aimee Mullins) who is involved in earlier experiments Brenner oversees. When it’s discovered that Terry is pregnant, Brenner manipulates the situation so that he can take her child, raise her, and experiment on her. While Brenner teaches Eleven to see him as her father figure and call him “Papa,” it is never confirmed that he is her biological father. Will Season 4 reveal a secret about Brenner and Terry’s relationship?
What did Dr. Martin Brenner do to Terry Ives in Stranger Things?
After Brenner and the rest of the staff at the lab kidnap a young Eleven, who Terry named Jane, she files a lawsuit against them, but it’s dismissed. Then, Terry attempts to storm the facility and rescue her daughter, but she is unsuccessful. Afterward, Brenner subjects Terry to electroshock therapy which leaves her catatonic for years. When Eleven escapes and seeks out Terry, they are able to shortly connect mentally, as the experiments also leave Terry with similar psychic powers to her daughter. Netflix
Is Dr. Martin Brenner coming back in Stranger Things Season 4?
Spoiler Alert: Yes. While Season 4 starts off with a scene set in 1979 showing an attack on Hawkins lab with Brenner and Eleven inside, Brenner also plays a key role in the present timeline in the new episodes. Next, who is Vecna from Stranger Things?
