With the recent release of Stranger Things 4, fans have many theories circulating. Now, after watching volume 1, many fans are asking questions about the sexuality of Will Byers, and actor Noah Schnapp is weighing in.
Stranger Things, which has been streaming on Netflix for four seasons, tells the story of a group of best friends and their families, who reside in Hawkins, Indiana. Throughout the seasons, as the gang has banded together to fight many mystical bad guys from other dimensions that are disturbing the peace in Hawkins, all the characters have grown. Over the years viewers have watched the group of kids playing Dungeons and Dragons in a basement after school develop first crushes and loves, but Will's character has been noticeably absent from this character development, and it's now raising major questions.
Schnapp, who plays Byers on Stranger Things, when asked about his character's identity, told Variety that he’s leaving the decision to label Will up to the writers of the show. He went on to add, "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." This theory has always been floating around within the Stranger Things fandom, but after the release of the fourth season, it's grown even more. Aside from the character noticeably resisting experimenting with girls for the first time, unlike his buddies, he also makes cryptic remarks throughout the season about being afraid to let his guard down to those closest to him, elaborating to say, “because what if — what if they don’t like the truth?"
Some fans also noticed that in the first episode of the new season, when Eleven (played by Millie Bobby Brown) and Will have to give presentations at their new high school on someone they look up to, Will's subject for his project was on Alan Turing. As some may know, Turing was a gay mathematician who was prosecuted in the 1950s for his identity and forcefully had to endure chemical castration. Plus, in episode four, when Mike comes to California to visit, Will is seemingly heartbroken at Mike brushing him off to give more attention to his girlfriend, Eleven.
While these little moments point to something larger developing with Will's character, nothing has been confirmed yet. However, the Stranger Things creators have made a note to say that “there aren't many accidents on Stranger Things,” so these little nods could be completely intentional and be alluding to something bigger coming in the story of Will Byers.
Stranger Things season 4, volume 1 is now available on Netflix.