'Stranger Things' Star Noah Schnapp Weighs in on Will's Sexuality

The characters of Stranger Things are endearing and memorable, so much so that their romantic lives have become points of interest for fans. With Season 3’s pivot to a focus on adult relationships, new attention has surrounded the character of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), with many fans theorizing that Will is part of the LGBTQ+ community--and this week, Schnapp himself weighed in.

The speculation about Will’s sexuality emerged after a pointed moment early in the season when Mike (Finn Wolfhard) remarks to Will that "It’s not my fault you don’t like girls” in response to Will’s frustration at being unable to play Dungeons & Dragons. In an interview with The Wrap (via USA Today), Schnapp said that “It’s really up to interpretation.”

“I kind of just interpret it like he’s not ready to grow up and he doesn’t really want to move on to dating and relationships yet,” Schnapp added. “He still wants to be a kid and play in the basement like he did in old times.”

This new round of speculation followed apparent longtime hints about Will’s sexuality, with the show having alluded to the character being bullied for seeming to be part of the LGBTQ+ community since Season 1. Responding to these same rumors in an Instagram post last year, Schnapp said (via USA Today) that “For me, Will being gay or not is besides the point,” adding, “Does being sensitive, or a loner, or a teenager who likes photography, or a girl with red hair and big glasses, make you gay? I’m only 12 but I do know we all relate to being different.”

As for us, we can’t say for certain whether Will really is part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, but we are glad that fans have the opportunity to read interpretation into the character--and we’re glad that Schnapp had such a cogent response.