Actor John Ross Bowie Discusses Kripke Killing Raj in New Big Bang Theory Spinoff
John Ross Bowie said he felt bad about his character Barry Kripke shooting Raj in the premiere of the Big Bang Theory spinoff "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe," which debuted at Comic-Con and streams on HBO Max.
HBO Max premiered the first episode of the Big Bang Theory spinoff "Stuart Fails to Save the Universe" during a San Diego Comic-Con panel on July 23. The episode introduces an alternate-universe version of Barry Kripke, played by John Ross Bowie, who captures several characters in a post-apocalyptic South Pasadena and later shoots an alternate Raj Koothrappali as the latter attempts to repair a device that could rescue the multiverse.
At the panel, Bowie acknowledged the difficulty of killing a long-standing character, saying, "It's like shooting Fonzie. I felt terrible." He added that the multiverse premise allows Raj to return, noting, "I only kill Raj once" and expressing a preference for not having to kill another main character.
Bowie also indicated that Kripke will evolve over the series, describing a potential redemption arc and suggesting the character will learn to cooperate with the group while retaining his antagonistic edge. The series airs new episodes on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max.