Is Will Byers gay in Stranger Things 4? Noah Schnapp opens up about his character's sexuality

1 July 2022, 08:35

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By Sam Prance

Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown have addressed the theories that Will has a crush on Mike in Stranger Things.

Stranger Things 4 fans think that Will Byers is gay and in love with Mike and now Noah Schnapp has addressed the theories.

Ever since Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in 2016, fans have speculated that Will might be gay. In season 1, Joyce says Will was bullied before he went missing. She adds: "He's a sensitive kid. Lonnie used to say he was queer." Will's sexuality is never mentioned after that but there are several scenes in seasons 2 and 3 that have led fans to believe Will is gay.

In an argument with Mike in Stranger Things 3, Will says: "You're destroying everything, and for what? So you can swap spit with some stupid girl?" Mike then responds: "El's not stupid. It's not my fault you don't like girls." It's unclear if Mike is just pointing out that Will doesn't have a girlfriend or if he's actually implying that Will is gay but many fans think he is.

In Stranger Things 4, there appear to be even more hints that Will may be queer and have a crush on Mike and now Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown have opened up about Will's sexuality and whether he's gay in a brand new interview.

READ MORE: Noah Schnapp responds to criticism over Will's sexuality storyline in Stranger Things 4

In Stranger Things 4, there appear to be multiple easter eggs that imply that Will is gay. In the first episode, he looks horrified when a girl tries to flirt with him and fans have spotted that he does a presentation on iconic gay mathematician Alan Turing for a school project. Above all that, he appears to be genuinely in love with Mike and jealous of Mike's affection for El.

In episode 5, Will and Mike have a heart-to-heart, and Will says: "Sometimes I think it's just scary to open up like that, to say how you really feel, especially to people you care about the most...because what if they don't like the truth?" Many people have interpreted this as Will referring to his sexuality and being scared to tell Mike that he is in love with him.

There are further hints in Stranger Things 4, Vol. 2 when Will confides in Mike but he never explicitly discusses his sexuality.

Now, Noah has addressed the theories. Talking to Variety, Noah said: "I feel like they never really address it or blatantly say how Will is. 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."

Millie Bobby Brown then added: "Can I just say, it’s 2022 and we don’t have to label things. I think what’s nice about Will’s character is that he’s a human being going through his own personal demons and issues. So many kids out there don’t know, and that’s OK. That’s OK to not know. And that’s OK not to label things."

Noah agreed with Millie by adding: "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."

READ MORE: Does Will Byers come out as gay in Stranger Things 4? Here's what he says to Mike in Volume 2

While Noah and Millie have been keen not to label Will's sexuality, other members of the Stranger Things cast and crew have been more direct. Discussing the theories that Will is gay with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Shawn Levy said: "Without getting into where we go later in season 4, I'll just say that there aren't many accidents on Stranger Things.

Shawn continued: "There is clear intention and strategy and real thought given to each and every character. So, if you came away from Volume 1 feeling those bread crumbs of plot and character, it's probably no accident."

Meanwhile, David Harbour and Finn Wolfhard have both appeared to confirm that Will is in love with Mike. In a video for Netflix Latinoamérica, David and Finn discuss a theory that suggests Eleven and Will will start a romance and they immediately shut it down.

David says: "If you've been watching the show you should know that Will is not interested in El. He's interested in someone else in the group." Finn agrees by saying: "Yeah, you'll see soon...who he's interested in." and David then adds: "He's very interested."

They then argue that Will's relationship with Eleven is like a brother/sister relationship and David states, "Will wants to be in the basement with Mike playing D&D for the rest of his life," and Finn ends by saying: "Exactly, and he's said that."

David Harbour and Finn Wolfhard hint that Will has a crush on Mike

It looks like we'll have to wait until Stranger Things 5 for more answers but as Noah and Millie have said, even if Will is in love with Mike, it doesn't necessarily means he identifies as gay. He doesn't have to label his sexuality.

Read more about Stranger Things 5 here:

• Stranger Things 5 will focus on Will and Vecna will return as the villain
• Stranger Things 5 might feature a time jump
• Stranger Things creators reveal their plans for season 5 made Netflix execs cry
• Stranger Things 5 theory suggests how Eddie could return as Kas and kill Vecna
• Stranger Things 5 will be the last season of the Netflix series
• Stranger Things season 5: Release date, spoilers, cast, news and trailers

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