Stranger Things: Is Will Byers gay?
If you’re a fan of Netflix’s hit sci-fi horror show, Stranger Things, then chances are that at some point in the four seasons available so far you’ve wondered if Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp) is gay or not.
Ever since the show first premiered in 2016, Will Byers’ sexuality has been a major talking point among fans of the series. With ‘hints’ about his sensibility and the difference in behavior from other boys his age, the lack of a love interest for his character, and even that heated argument he had with Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) in Season 3 where the latter tells him, “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” Will’s sexuality has never been made clear, and fans of the show haven’t been able to help but wonder if Will could actually be a part of the LGBTQ community.
Stranger Things has not distinguished itself as a show with significant queer representation. In fact, until season 3 where they introduced the character of Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) – a lesbian closeted high schooler who befriends fan-favorite Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) – the show didn’t have any canon queer characters.
So the possibility that Will Byers, one of the main characters in the series, could be one is great news for us queer fans of the show!
So…Is Will Byers gay?
Short answer: we’re not 100% sure. With the premiere of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1, where Will’s attitude towards his best friend Mike implies that he’s secretly in love with him, the answer to that question seems to be pointing to a resounding yes. But according to the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, we’ll have to wait until Volume 2 comes out (😝) to have a definitive answer.
In an interview for TVLine, Matt and Ross Duffer said they wouldn’t confirm whether or not Will is gay, as the entire season hasn’t been released yet, but they assured fans that if they watch the final two episodes (which will be dropping on the streaming platform on July 1st), they will get answers one way or another.
“We have story arcs and we have character arcs,” explained Ross. “How we structured [the season], we’ve released the first two acts of this story. The final act, which is the last two episodes, resolves a lot of things, both character, and story, and then some of it is also setting up for our final season.”
Executive producer and director Shawn Levy also weighed in on the matter. In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, when asked about Will’s sexuality, Levy said, “Without getting into where we go later in Season 4 [Volume 2], I guess I’ll just say that there aren’t many accidents on Stranger Things. 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 breadcrumbs of plot and character, it’s probably no accident.”
What does the cast have to say about this?
In a recent interview with Variety, Noah Schnapp, who plays Will, gave a different take on the debate. Schnapp 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 Bobbie Brown (Eleven) then added, “Can I just say, it’s 2022 and we don’t have to label things. I think what’s really nice about Will’s character is that he’s just 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.”
The actors’ answers sparked a bit of controversy online, especially since days before the show premiered, their co-stars David Harbour (Jim Hopper) and Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) teased during a promotional video for Netflix Mexico that we would be learning who Will is interested in from the group of friends very soon.
After reading a fan theory that implied Will and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) would start dating now that they’re in California and away from Hawkins where Mike – Eleven’s boyfriend and Will’s BFF – still lives, Harbour said, “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 Wolfhard, who plays Mike, chimed in saying that Will and Eleven’s relationship was more of “brother and sister,” and that we would soon see who he [Will] is “very interested” in.
So, there you have it, folks. Is Will Byers gay? The question still stands, but we think it’s safe to say that we will have a final answer in a couple of weeks when Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 is available to stream on Netflix.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is available to stream on Netflix now. Volume 2 is set to be released on July 1. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!
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