Stranger Things season 4: Stephen King thinks Yuri should get a spin-off: ‘Like Barry, only Russian’

We already know that the Duffer Brothers have ideas for a Stranger Things spin-off, but could you imagine if that spin-off was based on Stranger Things season 4 newcomer Yuri Ismaylov? Stephen King thinks it would be a good idea.

In case you need a refresher: Yuri was introduced in the first part of season 4, playing a significant role in the Russia storyline with Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett Gelman). Yuri was supposed to assist Joyce and Murray with rescuing Hopper, but wound up betraying them instead.

Luckily, Joyce and Murray were able to turn the tables on Yuri, kidnap him, and use him to get inside the Russian prison where Hopper was being held in captivity. By the end of volume 1, Yuri was still alive, surprisingly. We’ll have to see if he makes it out of the prison in the second half of the season. Given how slippery this guy is, it wouldn’t surprise me.

Stephen King thinks a Stranger Things Yuri Ismaylov spin-off could be “like Barry, but Russian”

King got on Twitter to say that he loved the “slimy, slinky Russian guy, Yuri” and thought he deserved his own show, even comparing it favorably to the acclaimed Bill Hader-led HBO series Barry.

The Duffers did say that the spin-off idea they were considering would be really weird and “out there.” So who knows, maybe Yuri will get his time in the spotlight.

I’m not sure everyone would agree with King, as some fans found the Russia storyline to be one of the weaker parts of the season. personally, I liked the Russian storyline, but there are other characters I’d rather see as the focus of a spin-off. That said, if I was going to trust anyone to make a Barry-like Stranger Things spin-off, it would be the Duffer Brothers.

What do you think about a Yuri spin-off based on the character introduced in Stranger Things season 4?

Stranger Things season 4 part 2 premieres July 1 on Netflix.