Stranger Things' Creators Were Absolutely Shocked By The Popularity Of Two Characters

Matt and Ross Duffer seem to have a unique insight into how to make a hit show, having produced the Netflix series in "Stranger Things," which continues to be nothing short of a phenomenon in 2025. But that doesn't mean they always know what they're doing. Not only were they caught off guard by how fans reacted to Shannon Purser's Barb in season 1, for example, they were also surprised by the audience support for Alec Utgoff's Dr. Alexei in season 3.

The "Stranger Things" creators have previously spoken about the audience's obsession with Barb, the bespectacled best friend of Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) who didn't make it out of the first season alive. Her death became one of the more controversial moments in "Stranger Things" history and fans were adamant that Barb deserved better. The disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) took most of the focus during that inaugural season, overshadowing the death of Purser's ill-fated high schooler, prompting widespread support for the character among viewers. The Duffers then promised that season 2 of "Stranger Things" would bring justice for Barb, though a funeral for the fan-favorite character did little to quell the "justice for Barb" demands.

Despite the initial outpouring of support for the character, the Duffers simply didn't seem to get it, and have spoken openly about being caught off guard by the whole controversy. They previously revealed that Barb's peripheral presence in season 2 came mostly at the behest of Netflix, which urged the pair to include more Barb elements to satiate fans. Otherwise, however, they simply didn't see whatever viewers saw in her — and that wasn't the only time they were surprised by viewer reaction to a short-lived character on "Stranger Things."

The "Stranger Things" timeline is full of standout characters, many of whom have died in service of protecting Hawkins, Indiana — perhaps most memorably Joseph Quinn's Eddie Munson, who sacrificed himself by distracting Vecna's Demobats at the end of season 4. But whereas the Duffer Brothers clearly knew that Eddie would be embraced by fans, as evidenced by his heroic storyline, they've been surprised by the fans' reaction to other characters.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer said he and his brother were "surprised constantly by the reactions," adding, "We think we know what are going to be the big moments, what fans will react to, and sometimes we're right and sometimes we're wrong. But then there are often surprises, going back to season one with Barb [Shannon Purser]." Matt also described viewer reaction to Alec Utgoff's Dr. Alexei from season 3 as "a huge surprise," with the co-creator adding, "We did not know people were going to respond to him quite in the way that they did. That, in some ways, is actually the more fun part of it, when they surprise us with what they're responding to."

Dr. Alexei was a Russian scientist who was part of a team tasked with opening a portal to the Upside Down in "Stranger Things" season 3. Eventually, however, he became an ally of Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and relished the opportunity to become immersed in American culture after being transferred to Hawkins. Unfortunately, like Barb before him, Dr. Alexei didn't last too long, dying of a gunshot wound before the end of season 3 in one of the most tragic "Stranger Things" deaths in the show's history.

With Dr. Alexei, fans once again latched on to this short-lived character due to his endearingly innocent love for U.S. culture and the fact he defected from the Soviets to help Joyce and Hopper destroy the Russian's gateway to the Upside Down. By the time he died, he had become a hero, but apparently neither Duffer Brother had any idea he'd become a fan-favorite. Still, for them, the exciting part is waiting to see how the audience reacts to their work.

Matt Duffer concluded, "I'm really excited to see how they react to the end of Volume 1, because we designed the volumes so they're basically like mega movies. The end of episode four has its own climax and I'm excited how they react to that. And of course, I'm excited to see how they react to the finale, which we will be able to be in there with them live — and hopefully they're not all booing." Unless they're planning on killing off yet another freshly-added character, there's unlikely to be much booing.

Whether we'll see any breakout characters in season 5 remains unclear, but there are plenty of new faces in the cast. "Stranger Things" tapped an '80s icon to play a season 5 villain in the form of "Terminator" star Linda Hamilton. But new additions Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breau are more uniquely placed to become fan-favorites, since they're entirely fresh faces. Whatever happens, no doubt it will catch the Duffers off guard again.