'Stranger Things' Season 2 Updates: Sean Astin's Bob Newby Character Predicted to Be the Series' New Fan-Favorite
While it is already confirmed that Barb (Shannon Purser) is not returning for "Stranger Things" season 2, avid fans of the Netflix original series may find themselves rooting for a new character in the upcoming season 2 of the series as it is predicted that Sean Astin's Bob Newby character will be the new fan-favorite character of "Stranger Things."
In an interview, "Stranger Things" producer and director, Shawn Levy, has said that Astin's character will surely be the show's new fan-favorite character. Levy even revealed that Bob Newby will have more screen time than Barb as the character will not only be romantically linked to Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), but will be involved in "Stranger Things" season 2's main plot, something that will surely endear him to the fans.
"When they (the Duffers) see what an actor is capable of, they write to that. They don't make the actor play what's on the page. They often change what's on the page to exploit everything that's unique about that actor. They did it with Steve Harrington last season and this season again and they did it big time with Sean, who as Bob, I think is going to be a Barb level fan favorite," Levy told Screen Rant.
To recall, Barb fell in the good graces of the fans of "Stranger Things" season 1 because of Purser's excellent portrayal of the character, making her unique, authentic, and relatable to the fans of the series. Some opine that Barb reminds a lot of people of themselves as she symbolizes the kind of friend that they are to their respective group of friends.
While Levy promises that Bob Newby will be "Stranger Things" season 2's fan-favorite character, nothing much is known how he will influence the story of the upcoming season. Nonetheless, it is suspected that he will be a great and exciting character that fans may find themselves rooting for, just like what they did to Barb in the first season of the series.
"Stranger Things" season 2 arrives on Netflix this Oct. 27.