'Stranger Things' Season 4 theory says Mike's dad is the American and not Hopper

Viewers have been throwing around ideas about the identity of the American taken captive by Russian soldiers ever since he was mentioned at the end-credits scene in Season 3. While some believed that"Stranger Things" Season 4 will reveal either Chief Jim Hopper or Dr. Martin Brenner as the prisoner, one fan claimed the American is Ted Wheeler.

Reddit user Sergeantbusiness speculated that Mr. Wheeler is actually a CIA agent and that the Russians kidnapped him in exchange for knowledge on Dr. Brenner's whereabouts. He was supposedly kidnapped at the fair after he and his wife Karen fought over his response to her remark about Hopper and Joyce making "an odd couple." Karen looked annoyed by his reply and supposedly left him to go home by herself.

The fan claimed that the Russians, who know about Ted being a CIA agent, took him to Russia and intends to use him as a "bargaining chip." They will only return him "if the Americans hand over Dr. Brenner," who has knowledge of the Upside Down and how to access it.

The Redditor added observations from the previous seasons to back up this theory. In "Stranger Things" Seasons 1 and 2, Ted did not hesitate to help the CIA agents and was more concerned about whether Eleven is Russian or not. Then, in a flashback scene in the second season, Ted appeared relaxed and comfortable while talking to the CIA agents while they bug their home.

Ted being a CIA agent would certainly surprise fans especially since the past seasons of the Netflix series often portrayed him as an oblivious father who regularly falls asleep on his chair. But, the fan claimed that this is all an act. Ted being an absentee and laidback dad is for the sake of keeping himself emotionally detached from his family. This is "so as not to distract him from his post" or to prevent enemies from using his family as leverage against him.

This theory on Mr. Wheeler being the captive American would tie to other fan theories about a rescue mission happening in "Stranger Things" Season 4. It may not be Chief Hopper after all,, that the gang will save in Russia, but Mike and Nancy's dad.