After five seasons of fan speculation, Stranger Things finally gave Will Byers the space to say the words many viewers had long believed: Will is gay — and the moment was as moving for the cast as it was for audiences.
In Episode 7 of the show’s two-part final season, Will opens up to his family and closest friends in an emotional scene that actor Noah Schnapp, who came out in real life in 2023, says brought him to tears.
“I haven’t told any of you this because I don’t want you to see me differently. But the truth is, I am different,” Will says, surrounded by his loved ones. “I don’t like girls. I mean, I do. Just not like you guys do. I had this crush on someone, even though I know they’re not like me.”
As he looks at his best friend Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard), the scene finally answers one of the series’ most quietly emotional questions — and does so with depth and care.
Noah Schnapp: “It was cathartic.”
In a new interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Schnapp shared just how personal the moment was for him — and how it helped him process his own journey.
“I read [the script] alone in my room, and I was crying, and it really resonated with me,” Schnapp said.
“I texted [the Duffer Brothers], and I was like, ‘This is great. This is awesome.’ I didn’t know if they were ever gonna write that story for Will.”
The actor said he studied the scene for weeks, reading it “every morning and night” until it became second nature.
“That allowed me on the day to just completely forget the script… and that just kind of poured out of me.”
Originally expecting the scene to be just between Will and his mum Joyce (Winona Ryder), Schnapp said he was surprised — and moved — to share it with the entire ensemble cast.
“When I finished that scene, I ran into [co-star] Charlie Heaton’s arms and was just crying.”
“With the cast, I never really got to sit them down and have that conversation about my own coming out, so getting to do it was totally therapeutic and cathartic for me.”
A Moment Years in the Making
Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed that Will’s sexuality has been part of the story’s emotional arc from the very beginning.
“Will and his coming-out scene was something that we’d been building to for a very long time,” said Ross Duffer.
“Once he’s able to do that, he’s heading into this final battle with a confidence and maturity that he hasn’t had before.”
Will’s journey is also central to the final battle against Vecna. In episode 4, he discovers latent powers, and by confronting his truths, he gains the strength to resist Vecna’s mental hold.
“It was just so special.”
Noah Schnapp’s performance is being praised not only for its vulnerability but also for the quiet power with which it brings a meaningful LGBTQ+ moment to the forefront of one of Netflix’s biggest franchises.
With the first seven episodes of Stranger Things 5 now streaming, fans can catch The Finale on New Year’s Day, closing the epic saga on a hopeful, emotional, and unapologetically queer note.
