Following the completion of the show’s latest season, actor Noah Schnapp confirms that Will Byers is homosexual and in love with Mike, putting an end to one piece of Stranger Things intrigue. We wrote earlier this month on fans’ reactions to a pivotal sequence in the blockbuster conclusion, in which the character of Will (played by Schnapp) effectively revealed his actual emotions for Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) in a passionate speech about the latter’s connection with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
“I remember it being all day. We started early in the morning and worked nonstop until the afternoon. When I was doing the scene, I wept my eyes out the whole day. And it was subtler when I viewed it on TV. I loved how they put it all together. The day was great fun. I enjoy simply playing with Will.”
This incident was crucial for him since it reaffirmed the fact that he loves his closest buddy but doesn’t know how to tell him.
Although initially starting in earlier interviews that his character’s sexuality is “up to the audience’s interpretation,” the 17-year-old actor revealed in a recent exclusive to Variety that Will does have affections for his closest buddy and that the authors have been dropping signals over the past couple of seasons.
“I mean, it’s self-evident this season that Will has emotions for Mike,” Schnapp adds.
“They’ve been doing it on purpose for the past few seasons.”
Even in Season 1, they hinted at it and gradually expanded the premise.
“I believe for Season 4; it was just me portraying this guy who loves his best buddy but isn’t sure whether he’ll be welcomed and who feels like a mistake and doesn’t belong.”
He goes on to say that the ensemble’s prominent members all have partners and belong to different clubs. However Will has never found a place where he truly belongs. He went on to say that he believes “Will has always felt like that” and that it’s part of why he seems so accurate as a character and why he resonates with so many people.
Though Will did not directly say anything to Mike during the sequence in the vehicle, it appeared to most viewers at home to be a very explicit confirmation. Schnapp, on the other hand, applauded the Duffer Brothers for how “subtle” he believes they crafted it, saying
“It really confirmed that fact, that he loves his best buddy and doesn’t know how to tell him.”
For him, this was a different season,
“I was used to playing him dealing with the Mind Flayer, supernatural themes, and darker, more non-personal material. This season was a first for me. I had to investigate his identification difficulties as well as his struggles with growing up and blending into high school. It was novel to me.”
He was also questioned about a later scene in which he and his on-screen brother Johnathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton) have a heart-to-heart about always being there for each other.
Schnapp claims that his brother also communicates with him “in code” and that it was the best method for him to demonstrate his support. Even after the previous automobile scenario, Johnathan can be seen glancing at his brother in the rear-view mirror as if he senses something is amiss.
So, there you have it: Will is homosexual and loves Mike, as many of you suspected/were verified in the season four finale. Indeed, it appears that the ensemble has been dropping some very heavy-handed signals regarding who Would have been “interested in” all along, which those who have been following the season regularly will have picked up on.
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