Here’s what Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of the show, told BuzzFeed about the new characters:
Max, played by Sadie Sink: “She moves into town with her brother Billy — who’s kind of a terrible, terrible human being — but they come from California. So she’s got kind of a different vibe than most of the kids do at Hawkins Middle. And because she’s different and interesting, [she] draws the attention of our boys. Not all of them, but some of them. You know, it’s a big deal letting another kid into the group.”
Billy, played by Dacre Montgomery: “Billy is a character. When he pops up on screen, I think he makes quite an impression every time, and I think he’s scary.”
Dr. Owens, played by Paul Reiser: “He’s in charge of the lab now. He’s keeping on eye on Will, not in a sinister way — well, we don’t know.”
Bob, played by Sean Astin: “He plays Bob, who’s Joyce’s new love interest. He works at Radio Shack. He’s a nerd. He’s very different than Lonnie, who’s her ex-husband. He’s just a really sweet guy — he’s a good guy.”