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From the very first episode of Stranger Things, the creators of the show, Ross and Matt Duffer, made it clear that this wasn’t simply a show about monsters. The series managed to capture the innocence of kids in the 1980s with episodes soaked in nostalgia. It also put a spotlight on the importance of friendships. Lately, audiences have begun to wonder how Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) identified. However, the actor doesn’t want a label on the character.

[WARNING: This article contains detailed plot spoilers regarding Noah Schnapp’s character, Will Byers, in Stranger Things 4 Volume I.]

'Stranger Things 4' star Noah Schnapp, as Will Byers, sits on a couch next to Charlie Heaton and Finn Wolfhard in a production still.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in ‘Stranger Things 4’ | Cr. Courtesy of Netflix

The Duffer Brothers’ pitch bible for ‘Stranger Things’ described Will Byers as a kid with ‘sexual identity issues’

Before audiences came to love the Netflix original Stranger Things, the Duffers presented their pitch bible about the show, initially titled Montauk, to the streaming platform. It included different versions of the characters we know today. However, the Duffers had a particular version in mind for Will from the beginning.

The pitch bible describes Will as “a sweet, sensitive kid with sexual identity issues. He only recently came to the realization that he does not fit into the 1980s definition of ‘normal.’ His innocent choices, such as his colorful clothes, prove a constant source of bullying.”

Noah Schnapp says the Duffers’ lack of recognition regarding Will’s sexuality is ‘the beauty of it’

In a recent interview with Variety, Schnapp, and Millie Bobby Brown, who plays the iconic Eleven in the series, discussed how the Duffers handled Will’s sexuality.

“I feel like they never really address it or blatantly say how Will is,” Schnapp tells Variety. “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.”

He continued, “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.”

Brown also chimed in with her thoughts, “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.”

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‘Stranger Things 4’: 5 Burning Questions We Have After Watching Volume I

‘Stranger Things 4’ stars Finn Wolfhard and David Harbour implied Will might have a crush on Mike

Even if Schnapp and Brown don’t believe there’s a clear-cut answer regarding Will’s sexuality, fellow actors Finn Wolfhard and David Harbour seem to think differently. In a recent interview about Stranger Things 4, both actors hinted at the possibility of Will being in love with Mike.

As several Stranger Things 4 cast members discussed fan theories, one fan asked if Will possibly had a crush on Eleven. Harbour and Wolfhard laughed at the thought.

“If you’ve been watching the show, you should know that Will is not interested in El,” Harbour told fans. “He’s interested in someone else in the group. Will wants to be in the basement with Mike playing D&D for the rest of his life.”

Two more episodes remain in Stranger Things 4. This gives Will plenty of opportunities to confirm or squash the rumors of his sexuality. Whether or not the Duffers have him do so is still up in the air. Stranger Things 4 Volume II premieres on July 1, 2022. 

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