Inside the Stranger Things Cast’s Reactions to Will’s Season 5 Game Changer

Stranger Things just pulled a big one: Will Byers finally lit up the psychic scoreboard, and the cast found out about it the same way we did — in a jaw-drop of a finale for Volume 1. And yes, the behind-the-scenes reaction was exactly the mix of shock, glee, and oh-no-what-now you want from this crew.

Will finally flips the switch

At the end of Season 5, Episode 4 — which caps Volume 1 — Will wakes up to the fact that he has powers. Not just a mild vibe. Full-on mind power. In the scene, he taps into that ability to pin down a pack of Demogorgons closing in on Mike, Lucas, and Robin. If you figured Eleven would always be the only one doing the head-bleed heroics, same. Apparently not anymore.

How the cast found out

The Stranger Things YouTube channel posted the table read for Episode 4, and it includes the exact moment everyone learns about Will's upgrade. Matt Duffer reads the ending out loud, and the room basically short-circuits as it sinks in that Will is now a heavy hitter.

• Gaten Matarazzo is first to react — eyes wide, hand on his head, flicking between the script and Noah Schnapp like he can not believe what he just heard. Schnapp has the classic 'I knew this was coming' smirk.
• Charlie Heaton plays it cool with a small grin. Natalia Dyer raises her eyebrows, very 'excuse me?'
• As Duffer keeps going, Jake Connelly (who plays Derek) goes full jaw-drop. Millie Bobby Brown smiles, mouth open, eyes up — the whole 'are we really doing this?' face.
• Joe Keery shakes his head with a grin, Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) laughs after Schnapp mugs at him, and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay) beams and pulls a goofy face.

When Duffer finishes the scene, the room cheers. Millie reaches over to Schnapp and basically knighted him with this:

'You are one of me!'

'Now you get to deal with that bloody nose.'

For what it is worth, Schnapp told Entertainment Weekly he actually knew about Will's powers before the table read and called it a 'whiplash of a reveal.' Fair. If you have spent four and a half seasons as the guy haunted by the Upside Down, suddenly turning into the person who can choke out Demogorgons with your brain is a pivot.

When you can watch the rest

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix. Volume 2 drops on Christmas, with the series finale set for December 31, 2025. Pace yourselves — Hawkins is not done throwing curveballs.