Is Will from ‘Stranger Things’ Gay? And Does it Matter?

Stranger Things 4 seems to be getting gayer with rumors surrounding one of the series’ main characters. On the one hand, LGBTQ+ visibility is important, but on the other hand lately, the internet seems to have an unhealthy obsession with the sexuality of characters. So we did a little research to get to the bottom of it.  

It’s only been a few days since the release of Stranger Things 4 volume 1 and it’s already broken the record for the biggest premiere weekend for a Netflix original series. Beating out the release of Bridgerton Season 2 (even without Rege-Jean Page) that delivered a total of 193 Million hours watched, the first part of this new season of Stranger Things drew 286.79 Million hours viewed shattering the previous record. It even reached the top 10 in all 93 countries with Netflix and hit the number 1 spot in 83 countries. 

“Sometimes I think it’s just scary to open up like that, to say how you really feel, especially to people you care about the most, because what if they don’t like the truth?” – Will 

While the first part of the new series is action-packed and full of Freddy Kruger-style Heebie Jeebies, it has also caused some debate amongst hardcore fans as to one character in particular. Many fans are asking if Will (played by Noah Shnapp) is gay. While the theory has been floating around online for quite some time, in one episode Mike seemingly outs Will in a contentious game of Dungeons and Dragons in season 3 by screaming “ it’s not my fault you don’t like girls.” 

Now in the latest season of Stranger Things, there’s a definite palpable intention to the way Will’s character is seen looking and reacting to Mike. On one hand, it could be jealousy for the way Will, just like his other besties has drifted apart and found other things to do, but many fans have argued it’s more of romantic longing. So once again, the internet is obsessed with the sexuality of Will from Stranger Things. 

In episode 5 of Stranger Things Season 4, Will seems to many to stop just short of confessing his love for Mike during a heart-to-heart moment when the two are reunited in California. Will tells mike “Sometimes I think it’s just scary to open up like that, to say how you really feel, especially to people you care about the most, because what if they don’t like the truth?”

Apparently, this newest scene really struck a chord with viewers and when executive producer Shawn Levy was asked about it by Entertainment Weekly he said, “Without getting into where we go later in season 4, I guess I’ll just say that there aren’t many accidents on Stranger Things… There is clear intention and strategy and real thought given to each and every character. So, if you came away from Volume I feeling those bread crumbs of plot and character, it’s probably no accident.”

So if we’re all being real and reading between the lines here, it’s all but confirmed that Will from Stranger Things is gay or part of the rainbow LGBTQ+ community. Given the rift between the streaming giant and the LGBTQ+ community specifically over the comedy specials which have been accused of being transphobic, we’re curious how this storyline will play out. 

Needless to say it’s not the first LGBTQ+ storyline in the series. In season 3 Robin, played by Maya Hawke actually comes out as a lesbian to Steve Harrington in episode 7. This was a decision that seems to have been made during production on the series. This is what Hawke had to say to the Wall Street Journal, “The Duffer Brothers and I, and [director] Shawn Levy, had a lot of conversations throughout shooting and it wasn’t really until we were shooting episodes four and five, I think, that we made the final decision. It was a collaborative conversation, and I’m really, really happy with the way that it went.”

So, there you have the tea on is Will from Stranger Things gay? The answer is very much probably, but we’ll have to wait to see when Stranger Things 4 volume 2 comes out on July 1st. I just want to be real and say I hope there is more realistic nuance to the characters than predictable queer tropes in Hollywood like the straight-obsessed gay character because honey we’re way less boring than that.