Just in time for Pride month, Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp has reignited an ongoing controversy about the show’s attitude to queer representation. Namely: Is his character Will Byers gay? And if so, why does the show keep dropping hints instead of making his sexuality more textually clear?
Addressing the topic in a recent Variety interview, Schnapp said, “I feel like they never really address it or blatantly say how Will is. 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 and actress Millie Bobby Brown both praised the choice to avoid “labeling” Will, with Brown saying, “So many kids out there don’t know, and that’s OK.”
However, this wasn’t well-received by Stranger Things fans, with Schnapp’s comments going viral via the @DiscussingFilm Twitter account. “Only straight ppl would think it’s beautiful to never acknowledge gayness,” wrote film critic Nathaniel Rogers, garnering 17,000 RTs as more people began to critique Schnapp’s explanation—and what it tells us about the creators of Stranger Things. After all, Schnapp is just a 17-year-old actor trying to articulate creative choices made by the show’s writers.
This emphasis on “not addressing” Will’s sexuality provides a clear contrast with the show’s explicitly straight characters, who have obvious crushes and love interests. But while the show hints that Will probably has feelings for his friend Mike, this is still somewhat subtextual. Audiences recognize that he’s probably gay, but the narrative traps him in a state of ambiguity.
The idea of Will being (in Noah Schnapp’s words) “just confused and growing up” is an intentional decision made by the show’s writers. He could still be “confused” if the show gave him queer friends and love interests, or made it more obvious that he’s struggling with his sexuality. But this doesn’t happen onscreen. It’s also been a widely-discussed (and criticized) element of his characterization since season 2.
Of course, this issue may still be cleared up in the final two episodes of Stranger Things, which arrive in July. This same Variety article also quotes an interview where actor David Harbour expresses disbelief at the idea of Will having a crush on Eleven: “He’s interested in someone else in the group.” Harbour and Finn Wolfhard (who plays Mike) both imply that this will be clarified in later episodes. So Will Byers may come out during the show’s epic conclusion—although for many fans, this will probably be too little, too late.
