The new season of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix a few days ago and after two seasons of abduction and possession, Noah Schnapp’s character Will Byers spends the first half of the latest run with a far more human issue on his hands – all his friends have coupled up and all he wants to do is get back to the good old days of cycling around and playing D&D.
One scene from the show’s third episode, titled The Case of the Missing Lifeguard, though, hints at the Will’s sexuality. Spoilers ahead.
The scene in question sees Will attempting to interest Lucas and Mike in a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but it’s obvious that he’s the only one really into the game. The other two boys laugh off his enthusiasm and derail the game with conversation about their respective girlfriends, frustrating the already disheartened Will.
Fed up, Will calls an end to the campaign and rushes out of Mike’s basement, though both Mike and Lucas attempt to call him back. Mike rushes out after his friend and this happens:
Now, obviously this could just be an angry comment thrown out during an argument, but the charged silence and the look of stunned betrayal on Will’s face suggest that Mike’s words have a bit more weight than suggesting that Will just doesn’t like girls yet. Mike apologises, swearing he’s not trying to be a jerk and goes on about how everyone’s growing up, but Will still leaves, even more upset with his friends.
While it’s never discussed or even hinted at again, we can’t help but consider if this is the Duffer Brothers’ way of alluding to Will’s sexuality. Unlike Robin’s coming out scene, the idea that Will might be gay doesn’t lead to an intimate conversation or touching moment between friends.
But the implication does bring back a conversation that began in season one when Stranger Things fans were questioning Will’s sexuality. In the freshman season, Will is continuously referenced by the group’s bullies using homophobic slurs and his story of being dragged into the Upside Down and left for dead was likened to how queer characters are often treated as “other” or thrown in the closet.
Back then Noah Schnapp said that for him Will’s sexuality is besides the point but it looks like many fans disagree.