Stranger Things Season Five Will See Will Byers Take Center Stage Again

Will Byers was one of the central part of Stranger Things in its first season, and the Duffer Brothers say that will come full circle for season five. Variety posted a feature on Noah Schnapp, who has played Will for the whole run of the show, and during the piece the show’s creators talked about how they sent Schnapp the first three scripts of season five to prepare him for his character’s arc in the final season.

“Will really takes center stage again in 5,” said Ross Duffer. “This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

Will came out of the closet in the fourth season, which Schnapp has credited with helping him come out as well. Schnapp talked about how that might affect Will in the fifth season, noting, “I think the way I act in season 5, honestly, might be a little different. I will be fully aware of who I am. Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I’m honestly just excited.“

Production on the series’ final season is currently on hold due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. There’s no word as to when the final season might release on Netflix.