Following lots of talk about Will Byers identifying as gay during the latest season of Stranger Things, the actor behind the character came out on TikTok. Noah Schnapp posted a video coming out as gay, with a caption referencing how he has it in common with his Stranger Things character. Now, his fans are being super supportive of him. This news also brings up the point that I think it’s finally time for our boy Will to get a queer love interest.
The 18-year-old actor has been extremely open about his Stranger Things character’s sexuality. Especially in Season 4, it became abundantly clear that Will had a crush on Mike. However, Schnapp had never really talked about his own sexuality, until he posted this funny and heartfelt TikTok:
@noahschnapp I guess I’m more similar to will than I thought
♬ original sound - princessazula0
Scrolling below the video, and the fun Stranger Things-related caption, there are tons of excited comments from fans and celebrities supporting Schnapp.
Here’s a list of some of the super supportive comments from Schnapp’s fans:
Good for you for being your true self!
Jason Wyant
Slay
Amanda Diaz
Public figures like Chris Olsen, and even the Empire State Building, showed their support for the Stranger Things star too, posting:
we love you 🥰
The Empire State Building
welcome king
Chirs Olsen
Other comments made sure to point out the Stranger Things connection between Schnapp and his character Will. For example, these two people wrote:
ITHE CAPTION SENT ME😭
Hennessy
spot on caption. i love you and always support you noah
Ky
It was teased last season, especially when the end of Season 4 dropped on the 2022 TV schedule, that Schnapp’s character Will had a crush on his long-time friend Mike. Although, nothing was ever explicitly said. Based on the actor’s TikTok caption, and coming out himself, I think it’s finally time for Will to have a queer love interest in Season 5 of Stranger Things.
Since the finale of the Netflix hit’s latest season, Schnapp has explained that he thought the creatives have done a “great job with Will’s character,” and they “beautifully addressed everything they needed to.” In another interview with Variety, the actor also talked about the evolution of Will and his sexuality, explaining:
Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike. But before, it was a slow arc. I think it is done so beautifully, because it’s so easy to make a character just like all of a sudden be gay.
He also said that he’s had many people come up and say how much they relate to his character. Schnapp also praised the way the writers of the series have shown Will’s “real journey and real struggle,” and wrote a story that so many fans resonate with.
So, given Schnapp’s latest TikTok, and the slow evolution of his character on Netflix’s series, here’s hoping Will Byers finally gets a queer love story come Season 5 of Stranger Things. The kid has been through a lot, and he deserves to have a sweet love story. Also seeing another LGBTQ+ character on the show would be amazing, and allow so many more people to identify with these well-known and beloved characters.
It’ll be a while before we find out if Will Byers shares his feeling with Mike, but based on comments from Schnapp and the show’s executives it seems highly probable it’ll happen in Season 5. While we wait for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things you can watch the first four seasons, and watch Will’s story unfold, with a Netflix subscription.
