Hold onto your walkie talkies and Eggos, ‘cause things are about to get strange(r). The first volume of the final season of Stranger Things dropped today, so we hit up Hawkins High School’s newest guidance counselor, Regina Ting Chen (she / her), to talk about it. Regina plays Ms. Kelly, who cares v much about her students who have a lot going on. (Ahem, Max.)

Here, she dishes about her fav character duo, her time on set with Anthony Mackie, and explains why she’s never been to summer camp.

Tell us about Ms. Kelly! Was there anything you did to prepare yourself for this role?
She’s fun, sweet, and quirky. It’s interesting because for the first time in my career, I feel like I truly get to play myself. In other roles I’ve played news anchors or military doctors—my jobs were very serious and stern. But this time, I’m seen for who I am and everything just feels right.

How does it feel bringing more AAPI representation to the screen?
I’m so excited to bring more of myself and not try to fit into a certain mold. Little Asian girls are going to see me and be like, “Oh, look! That’s a familiar face.” That’s why this role feels unreal, because I’m not just hitting an acting mark in my career—it’s personal, it’s cultural, it’s societal, it’s wonderful.

Do you have a fav character duo on the show?
The obvious one is Steve and Dustin because they’re so fun and quirky. In real life, we only see little kids with each other, teenagers with each other, or adults with each other. So to show that chosen siblinghood is nostalgic for some people and wishful for others. There’s a lot to learn from them in the funniest and weirdest ways.

From your time on Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, do you have any funny stories from being on set?
In Falcon, one of my lines is, “When did the government make you Captain America?” I don’t know why, but when I was shouting it to Anthony Mackie, a Texan accent came out. And I’m not even Texan [laughing]. He finished his scene and then made fun of me in the friendliest way. He was just really engaging, kind, and fun to everyone on set.

Speaking of sets, some people describe it like being at summer camp. Do you feel like that’s true?
I wish I could tell you if it was true or not, but I’ve never been to summer camp. I was literally the most sheltered kid. Summers for me were workbooks at home because I’m traditional Chinese. I hope that the counselor I represent on Stranger Things is similar to fun summer camp counselors, because clearly I have no experience with that.

Controversial Q: Marvel or DC?
This is a terrible question [laughing]. That’s tough because there’s elements from both of them that I love. In the DC world, I love the storylines. I wish I could be part of that universe because I feel like you get grittier and darker stuff. It grabs you and makes you want to be a fighter. But the MCU is epically fulfilling. Their work has a bigger message. And of course, when Shang-Chi came out, I had to think, “Is this good because it’s an all-Asian cast or is it good because it is good?” And it’s good because it is good.

Are there any two universes that would just blow your mind if they met?
I am a huge Star Wars nerd. My two dogs are named Chewie and Leia. But I can’t even imagine a world where, say, it’s Marvel superheroes and then you have Jedi. I’ve just never been asked this question before—WAIT! I have an answer! I would like to see the Star Wars world merge with Doctor Who. I’m a huge Doctor Who fan. I carry a sonic screwdriver with me everywhere. If the Doctor could travel to that universe and meet a Jedi and fight a Sith Lord together, my heart would explode.