Stranger Things: Duffer Brothers Says Will's Journey Is Vital To Series Ending

Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has come a long way over the course of "Stranger Things." From the shy and sensitive kid whose disappearance fueled the mystery of the show's first season to a lovestruck teen navigating a complicated web of teenage friendship while trying to stay true to those he cares about, Will has experienced an enduring and memorable arc across the series' four seasons.

One place where the actor and the character have intersected is in their sexuality. Since Season 1, there have been allusions to Will's sexuality, hints that were finally confirmed in Season 4, when it became crystal clear that Will is in love with his best friend, Mike (Finn Wolfhard). Several months later, Schnapp confirmed that he is gay as well, saying, "I guess I'm more similar to Will than I thought."

Still, the Duffer Brothers, who created "Stranger Things," have even bigger plans for the character in the show's upcoming fifth and final season. "Will really takes center stage again in [Season] 5," Ross Duffer told Variety. "This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together."

Though Will was already shy and introverted when "Stranger Things" fans first met him, the character has grown increasingly withdrawn and troubled as the series has continued. Whether he's desperately trying to hold on to the joys of his childhood or struggling to find the right words to express himself, Will has developed into a troubled but still very relatable teenager.

The Duffers are determined to see him end up on the other side of that long and complex journey by the time the show comes to a close. "Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that's being protected," Ross Duffer explains. "So part of his journey, it's not just sexuality — it's Will coming into his own as a young man."

As his "Stranger Things" friends Mike, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) have increasingly found themselves distracted by girls and growing up, it has certainly felt like Will was being left behind along the way. In a way, it makes sense that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who is also struggling to fit in, seems to be the one who knows him best now. Still, it sounds like Will is about to return to being a focal point in the final season of the popular series.