After several seasons of dancing around the subject, it would appear we now have confirmation that Stranger Things' very own Will Byers is gay.
In a wide-ranging new interview with Variety, actor Noah Schnapp addressed one of the most popular Stranger Things theories: that Will has romantic feelings for his best friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).
“I mean, it’s pretty clear this season that Will has feelings for Mike,” Schnapp explained. “They’ve been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons. Even in season one, they hinted at that and slowly, slowly grew that storyline. I think for season four, it was just me playing this character who loves his best friend but struggles with knowing if he’ll be accepted or not, and feeling like a mistake and like he doesn’t belong.
Advert
"Will has always felt like that. All his friends, they all have girlfriends and they all fit into their different clubs. Will has never really found anywhere to fit in. I think that’s why so many people come up to me and tell me that they love Will and they resonate with him so much, because it’s such a real character.”
While Stranger Things had only ever really alluded to Will's unrequited love for Mike in the past, the final two episodes of Stranger Things 4 made it pretty clear that he's been carrying a torch for his friend for quite some time. However, while a touching scene between Will and older brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) in the last episode suggested Jonathan was well aware, Will has not officially come out to his friends and family just yet.
It's worth noting that Schnapp's latest comments are a departure from what he said before the final episodes of Stranger Things 4 aired.
“I think that’s the beauty of it, that it’s just up to the audience’s interpretation, if it’s Will kind of just refusing to grow up and growing up slower than his friends, or if he is really gay,” he said back in May. “I find that people do reach to put a label on him and just want to know, so badly, like, ‘Oh, and this is it.’ He’s just confused and growing up. And that’s what it is to be a kid.”
Advert
While this response drew some criticism at the time, hindsight suggests this was a young kid struggling to answer a question without giving too much away about where his character is headed. Let's just hope Stranger Things 5 doesn't shy away from addressing this further.
Featured Image Credit: NetflixTopics: Netflix, TV And Film