Noah Schnapp Finally Confirmed Will's Sexuality On Stranger Things
He said the show has been alluding to Will’s feelings since Season 1.
If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, you’ve definitely been wrapped up in the rumors about Will’s (Noah Schnapp) sexuality. During the show’s fourth season, fans speculated that Will might be gay because of his frustration with his best friend, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and inner turmoil about something unnamed. But the rumors can finally be put to rest, as Noah Schnapp confirmed Will is gay, gratifying the Stranger Things fans who knew it all along.
Some fans have been guessing Will’s part of the LGBTQ+ family since Season 1, but the sexuality speculation really began in earnest when Mike came to visit Will, Eleven, and Jonathan in California at the beginning of Season 4. At first, it seemed like Will was moody just because Eleven was lying to Mike, trying to make him believe their life in California was better than it actually was. But as the plot continued, there seemed to be something more behind Will’s frustration. He voiced to Mike that he missed him and wished that Mike wouldn’t solely give his attention to Eleven — which, granted, is a very fair frustration to have with just a friend. But then the scene in the back of the pizza van — in which Will quietly sobbed into his hand after telling Mike how special he was — had fans convinced this was about more than just a friendship for Will.
Schnapp was cagey about addressing Will’s sexuality in the weeks after Stranger Things 4, Vol. 1 came out. In a May 30 interview, he told Variety that Will’s sexuality was “up to the audience’s interpretation.” However, not that Vol. 2 is out and more of Will’s story is out there, it seems Schnapp is ready to be more definitive.
In a July 14 interview with Variety, Schnapp noted he originally didn’t want to be as clear about Will’s sexuality in pre-Vol. 2 interviews because it felt like a spoiler. “Now, it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike,” Schnapp said. “Before, it was a slow arc.”
With the full season available for fans to watch, Schnapp went back to the one scene that made it clear how Will felt: the pizza van scene. “This scene was really important for him, because it really solidified that truth, that he loves his best friend and he doesn’t know how to tell him,” he told Variety.
Schnapp also confirmed Stranger Things has been alluding to Will’s sexuality the whole series. “I mean, it’s pretty clear this season that Will has feelings for Mike. They’ve been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons,” he said. “Even in Season 1, they hinted at that and slowly, slowly grew that storyline. I think for Season 4, it was just me playing this character who loves his best friend but struggles with knowing if he’ll be accepted or not, and feeling like a mistake and like he doesn’t belong ... Will has never really found anywhere to fit in. I think that’s why so many people come up to me and tell me that they love Will and they resonate with him so much, because it’s such a real character.”
Stranger Things 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
