Stranger Things Set Scare: Noah Schnapp Accidentally Injures Co-Star — Who Walked Away Feeling Like Tom Cruise

File this under: things you don’t expect to hear on a press tour. Noah Schnapp says he accidentally steamrolled a new castmate while filming Stranger Things Season 5 — and the kid popped up with a Tom Cruise joke.

What actually happened

Schnapp was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon talking about the new season and admitted he tends to overdo it with the stunts. Case in point: there’s a scene where Will has to tackle Derek Turnbow, one of the new faces this year, played by Jake Connelly. The direction was to sprint at him and then hit the brakes halfway. Sounds simple. Also sounds like a great way to misjudge the distance and wipe someone out.

That’s basically what happened. Schnapp went full commit, didn’t stop in time, and pinned Connelly to the ground. Connelly came away with a scraped, bleeding leg, and Schnapp immediately freaked out about hurting him.

Then, the most kid-actor thing possible: Connelly stood up out of a pile of hay and delivered a line worthy of the blooper reel.

'It’s OK, Mr. Noah. I feel like Tom Cruise doing my own stunts.'

Not the vibe you expect after getting tossed to the dirt, but honestly, great recovery.

Who’s the new kid?

Derek Turnbow, played by Jake Connelly, is a Season 5 addition who’s already become a fan favorite across the first four episodes. Yes, the same kid who just took a surprise tackle from Will Byers and shook it off like a champ.

Where the season stands

• First 4 episodes: now streaming on Netflix; 59.6 million views in the first five days, the biggest premiere for an English-language show in Netflix history
• Next 3 episodes: arrive December 25, 2025
• Finale: drops December 31, 2025, runs 125 minutes, and will also play in 500+ theaters across the U.S. and Canada