Stranger Things Actor Andrey Ivchenko Says People Hate Him for Killing Fan-Favorite Character

*Warning: This story includes spoilers for Stranger Things season 3.*

If there’s one thing Stranger Things season 3 has taught us, it’s that anyone (or anything) can come back. And while we're holding onto hope that this will be true for David Harbour's Jim Hopper, who heroically sacrificed himself to shut the gate to the Upside Down in the newest season's final episode, there are a few deaths that fans are hoping will stick.

One such death is that of the Russian hit man Grigori, played by Andrey Ivchenko, who killed fan-favorite character Alexei (Alec Utgoff) and fought our favorite protagonists throughout the season.

As you remember, Grigori’s death in the machine called “The Key” was violent and pretty definitive, but as Ivchenko points out, anything is possible in the Stranger Things world. The actor spoke with Digital Spy at San Diego Comic-Con about the fans's reactions to his character and why their hate can be a positive thing.

“It's pretty interesting how people react ... I mean obviously there are comments like 'why did you kill Alexei' and all that stuff [and] 'we hate you for that' ... To me, I don't want to say it doesn't matter, but I really appreciate the positive side, where people have been very positive about the character,” Ivchenko said. “Even the negative side I appreciate, because you know people are passionate about that project ... Some of them [are] probably taking it so seriously [because] they really believe [in] those characters.”

When asked if he will be back next season, Ivchenko said, "It's sci-fi, you know, so things can happen ... For now, what I know is he's dead. But who knows?”

If you need yet another reason to revisit the third season of Stranger Things, you can try watching it all again with your eyes peeled for these Easter eggs.