Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer confirm there will be more story for Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) in season five. In season four, Will played third wheel in the strained relationship between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard), but the following season will see him come to the forefront.
In an interview with Collider, the Matt Duffer teased what’s coming ahead for Will’s journey.
“Will’s going to be a big part and focus, is really all I can say of Season 5, in his journey. We’re starting to see his coming of age, really. Which has been challenging for a number of reasons, some of which are supernatural. But you’re starting to see him come into his own.”
The Stranger Things story begins with the disappearance of Will in the Upside Down and his friends, with the help of the powerful Eleven, having to band together and save him whilst fighting the Demogorgon. Early on, there were allusions to the idea that Will might be gay and possibly having a crush on Mike. In season three, Mike tells him that it’s not his fault he doesn’t like girls, and in season four, Will clearly has a lot of emotions he’s keeping pent up inside.
Fans have called out how Will sometimes gets ignored or that he hasn’t officially come out, but others have pointed out that him doing so in the 80s wouldn’t be realistic. As Jason’s increasing paranoia and the town’s “satanic panic” proved, not everyone is open to change.
Ross Duffer said that the final season will harken back to the beginning of the series for multiple main characters.
“[It’s] setting up us coming full circle back to Season 1. I think you’ll see that with a couple of the character arcs, not just with Will. But also with Steve and Nancy, and her relationship with Jonathan where things are not fully resolved. The characters have maybe made steps, like in the case of Will, but that journey isn’t over yet. All of that is going to play a huge role as we try to wrap this thing up next season.”
Mike and Eleven weren’t the only ones with relationship issues in season four. Nancy (Natalie Dyer) and Jonathan (William Heaton) had severe communication issues that put them in a state of limbo. During the season, viewers saw how far Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) had come from jerk to the voice of reason, and it’s possible that the original ship could become endgame.
The Duffer brothers announced they will begin writing season five in August and promise more terror to come. There’s expected to be a bigger time jump to account for the growing young actors, and it will be based predominantly in Hawkins, like how it had been set originally.
Stranger Things season 5 is streaming on Netflix.