Netflix is ramping up promotion for the long-awaited fifth and final season of Stranger Things, set to premiere this Thanksgiving after a three-year hiatus. The streamer doubtlessly hopes that the online discourse will center around fan theories and building anticipation for the return to Hawkins, Indiana. However, a recent interview in Time magazine with star Noah Schnapp, which examines how the media’s long-standing focus on his sexuality has affected him, threatens to pull the focus into the Upside Down.
Schnapp, now 21, came out as gay when he was 18. The show has also been hinting for some time that his characterm Will Beyers, is also gay. Yet, as he told Time, the press has been asking about his sexuality since Stranger Things started, back when he was just 12 years old.
“They would pry and ask me, ‘Is he gay? Are you gay?’ I was 12, 13. I didn’t know what to say,” he admitted.
The Theorizing Around Will Beyers
Theories on fan sites like Reddit and Tumblr regarding Schnapp’s character’s sexuality began immediately after Stranger Things’ debut in 2016. Because Will liked colorful clothing, was shy, artistic, and seemed to have a close bond with Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard), some interpreted these traits as subtext.
A scene from the teaser trailer for Stranger Things 5 – YouTube, Netflix
Schnapp, at 12, responded to the speculation in a since deleted Instagram post saying, “For me, Will being gay or not is besides the point. ‘Stranger Things’ is a show about a bunch of kids who are outsiders.” Since this was neither an outright denial nor confirmation, his comment only drew more attention to the question of his character’s sexuality.
It didn’t take long before Schnapp noticed that many people online were suggesting he himself was gay.
Noah Schnapp plays will Beyers in Stranger Things Season 4 – Netflix
“I think it made me hold it down deeper,” he told Variety in 2023. “Because it was kind of being poked and prodded out of me in such a public way.” He added that many in his family and social circle were subtly encouraging him to come out if he was gay, which he didn’t appreciate at the time. “I was like, ‘I’m straight.’ I just rejected that idea for so long.”
Aubrey Plaza reacts to #AgathaAllAlong being called the “gayest Marvel project yet”: “It better be, cause that’s what I signed up for.” https://t.co/fovgx9Ba68 pic.twitter.com/fBnVPYPl1R
— Variety (@Variety) September 17, 2024
Even as Schnapp was filming the fourth season of Stranger Things, the actor was still working out his own feelings. However, he told Variety in the same interview, that the reception of season four changed his perspective. “I saw all these comments on Instagram and TikTok. There was not one bad thing about him being gay. I was like, if he has all this support, then why should I worry about anything?”
Now we know that it wasn’t just anonymous online commenters, friends, and family that had Schnapp struggling with his sexuality from an early age, but also the press. The ethics surrounding these issues could be a matter for debate. But it’s a debate Netflix doesn’t need at the moment.
Elon Musk Turning Things Upside Down
Earlier this month, Elon Musk used his social media platform to accuse Netflix of pushing gender ideology to young children. Musk wrote, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” after clips from Dead End: Paranormal Park where a character named Barney identifies with a different gender resurfaced online. The show, which is no longer in production, remains available in the Kids & Family category on Netflix.
Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids https://t.co/uPcGiURaCp
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2025
After confirming he’d canceled his Netflix subscription, a wave of users on X followed suit.
The recent comments from Schnapp are once again putting Netflix and gender ideology in the same conversation. While the final season of Stranger Things will no doubt be a hit for Netflix, viewers simply looking for a nostalgic escape from today’s social and political discourse may find it difficult to ignore as they watch.
What do you think? Did the media go too far in asking 12 year-old Noah Schnapp about his sexuality? Will you be watching Stranger Things this fall? Sound off in the comments!
