Stranger Things' Noah Schnapp discussed his character's sexuality and the iconic scene added last minute
Series 4 has finally been released
Series 4 has finally been released
Stranger Things has recently returned, much to our delight, and season four comes with all the twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Netflix production was created as two longer-length films, unlike the weekly episode format, which were released at the end of May and start of July.
It has since been teased a fifth season is tipped to be coming to the small screen, despite claims the fourth series would be the final.
However, the latest series sparked a wider conversation from viewers over Noah Schnapps' character Will Byers, and his sexuality.
In select scenes Will hints to things changing within the group, and within himself. Will feels he has lost his best friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) who has been away, and longing for the letters he exchanges with girlfriend Eleven (Milly Bobby Brown) and the close bond they shared.
Just weeks after the sci-fi show aired, Noah has shed some clarity on the series.
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Speaking to Variety, he said: "This was kind of a different season for him. I was used to acting him [dealing] with the Mind Flayer, the supernatural aspects and the darker, kind of non-personal stuff. This season was a new thing for me. I had to explore him navigating his personal identity issues and struggling with growing up and assimilating into high school. It was new for me.
"I mean, it’s pretty clear this season that Will has feelings for Mike. They’ve been intentionally pulling that out over the past few seasons. Even in Season 1, they hinted at that and slowly, slowly grew that storyline.
"I think for Season 4, it was just me playing this character who loves his best friend but struggles with knowing if he’ll be accepted or not, and feeling like a mistake and like he doesn’t belong. Will has always felt like that. All his friends, they all have girlfriends and they all fit into their different clubs. Will has never really found anywhere to fit in. I think that’s why so many people come up to me and tell me that they love Will and they resonate with him so much, because it’s such a real character."
Aside from the tear-jerking scene when Will offers advice to Mike on his relationship with Eleven, and then turns away to cry while looking out the side of the van, there was another heart-warming moment that wasn't originally in the script.
The moment is between Will and his older brother Jonathan (played by Charlie Heaton) when they were preparing the salt pool for Eleven to beat Vecna and save Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink). In the scene Jonathan encourages his sibling to open up to him, as he will support him no matter what.
The 17-year-old actor shared: "So this scene was actually not originally written in the script. It was only until after I did the scene of me in the van, where they saw me crying and the protectiveness that you see with Jonathan looking in the rearview mirror. They were like, we need a scene with that. So they wrote it as we were filming.
"It’s also very important for people to see that Will is not alone — because all we ever see of him is struggling and feeling depressed and that he can’t be himself. Jonathan is talking to him in code — it’s just the perfect way to tell someone like Will that he cares about him and he accepts him no matter what. I think it was really wholesome."
Maisie is a writer and editor, covering Royal News, Showbiz, Lifestyle content, as well as Shopping Writing and E-Commerce, for print and digital publications, including Marie Claire, Hello!, Fabulous, Mail Online and Yahoo!.
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