The end of Stranger Things has unleashed a real revolution. The premiere of the first volume of the fifth season caused such an avalanche of users on Netflix that the platform even registered failures globally, according to specialized media.
While fans are processing the furor over the return of the series, Artificial Intelligence is also joining the eighties fever: it is now possible to transform into a character from the Hawkins universe thanks to a tool that anyone can use without paying a penny.
We are talking about Nano Banana, the image generator integrated into Google Gemini, the company’s AI chatbot. This feature allows you to edit photos, recreate scenarios and transfer real faces to fictional worlds… including, of course, the one from Stranger Things.
Here’s how to do it easily and in a matter of seconds.
What is Nano Banana and how does it work with Stranger Things?
Nano Banana is Gemini’s image generation and editing tool. Its great advantage is that it allows you to keep the original face of a selfie and place it in new scenes without distortion, ideal for those who want to “enter” series, movies or environments they have never set foot in before.
In the midst of Stranger Things fever, thousands of users are using this feature to recreate images with 80s aesthetics, spooky scenarios and gestures in the style of the main characters of the series.
It is also available for free, making it a very affordable option for experimenting with generative AI.
Step by step: how to become a Stranger Things character with Google Gemini
The process is simple and takes only a few minutes.
1. Upload a selfie to Gemini
Log in to Google Gemini and click on the “+” icon in the lower left corner. Select a photo in which your face is clearly visible.
Any portrait will do, but the better lit it is, the more realistic the result will be.
2. Write a clear and detailed prompt
The trick to getting a true Stranger Things-style image is to write a precise instruction. In AI, that text is called a prompt.
Experts recommend including:
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visual style
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environment
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attire
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time
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position of the character
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lighting
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objects in the environment
A descriptive prompt (like the one Xataka spread) allows the AI to keep your face intact and build a believable scene within the universe of the series.
Example of a prompt inspired by Stranger Things:
“Generates a realistic image while maintaining exactly the face of the reference photo. It creates a scene with a dark, 80s aesthetic, similar to the stills from Stranger Things. The character appears sitting on a couch, wearing a plaid shirt, white T-shirt and 80s-style hairstyle. He is holding an object -like an axe- and looks to the side. The room is full of cluttered objects, books, cassette tapes and antique furniture. On the wall, the hand-drawn alphabet and Christmas lights twinkling in warm tones light up the atmosphere.”
From that prompt, you can add or remove elements to customize your version of Hawkins.
Customize your scene and create as many as you want
One of the great advantages of the system is that you can modify the prompt to recreate:
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the Upside Down
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the Byers’ living room with lights and lettering
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an eighties school gymnasium
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a scene of tension typical of the Demogorgons
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fantastic or futuristic versions of the style of the series.
Each variation of the prompt generates a different image, so you can play with poses, objects, accompanying characters and even your own “alternate version”.
A combo that brings Stranger Things to a great close
The combination of last season’s premiere and the new generative AI creative tools has skyrocketed fan engagement, which can now go beyond memes and literally become part of the visual story of the series.
Whether it’s for social media, fan art or just plain fun, Nano Banana in Gemini is becoming one of the most popular ways to celebrate the end of one of the most influential series of recent years.
