Stranger Things Season 5 Photos Confirm A Huge Change To Noah Schnapp's Will Byers

Noah Schnapp's Will Byers is getting a series-defining makeover in "Stranger Things" Season 5. Nearly a decade ago, "Stranger Things" started with Will's disappearance, setting the stage for one of Netflix's most popular supernatural offerings. And while Will is eventually rescued from the Upside Down, his life is still miserable. Sure, he has friends and family who care about him, but Schnapp's character is still rocking a goofy bowl cut. That's (thankfully) about to change during the highly anticipated 5th season. 

Russ Duffer, co-creator of "Stranger Things," took to Instagram to share a snap of Schnapp from the upcoming season, revealing that the dreadful bowl cut is a thing of the past. 

Considering that the "Stranger Things" creators may have accidentally confirmed a time jump, it isn't surprising that Will has a new hairdo. Changing a character's hair or adding a unique visual flair is a convenient way of letting audiences know that significant time has passed in-universe. It has been suggested that the 5th and final season takes place in 1988, two years after "Stranger Things" Season 4. With the '80s wrapping up, it makes sense that young Byers would opt for an updated haircut. Season 1 took place in 1983 — the early days of the bowl cut.

Fans have always had a complicated relationship with Noah Schnapp's Will Byers. The character mostly served as a plot device in Season 1, with his disappearance being the catalyst. When fans had problems with the character's arc in Season 4, Schnapp bluntly responded to those who criticized Will's story. Despite the issues over the years, the Duffer Brothers maintain that Will's journey is vital to the series' upcoming ending. Whatever that journey looks like, at least he won't be sporting that ridiculous haircut. 

"Stranger Things" fans are thrilled that Will's aesthetic is changing. "[G]lad the hair department looked at all the fanart and took inspiration," wrote X (formerly, known as Twitter) user @byrhop. "[A]lso very glad [W]ill [B]yers discovered a curling iron during an apocalypse," they joked. A similar sentiment was echoed by @MaryJan90029085, who wrote, "I can't believe his hair looks so good ... I have to pinch myself." 

As delighted fans are that Will's got a new look, Schnapp is probably even more excited. The actor previously expressed his blunt thoughts on the "classic" haircut. "I've talked to them so many times like, 'Hey, are we thinking about a new cut for Will?'" he told Business Insider. He continued by saying that The Duffer Brothers were adamant that the style was authentic for the era, with Schnapp firing back with some anecdotal receipts. "That's what they say, but then I talked to my parents and they lived in the '80s [...] They said they weren't 16 with that haircut, so I don't know."