Will Byers Is the Secret Weapon: Noah Schnapp Teases a Game-Changing Season 5
Think Will Byers was just a scared kid stuck in the Upside Down? Noah Schnapp just revealed a twist that flips his Season 1 disappearance on its head—and even after nearly a decade as Will, it took him by surprise.
We all spent years picturing Will Byers curled up in the Upside Down, trying not to breathe. Turns out, that picture is way off. Noah Schnapp just revealed the show is about to rewrite how we remember Will’s first days missing, and it tees up a very different endgame for Season 5.
Wait, Will was fighting back?
The opening five minutes of Stranger Things Season 5 jump to November 12, 1983 — six days after Will vanished. And instead of hiding, Young Will is armed with a hunting rifle inside Castle Byers, actively defending himself when a Demogorgon crashes in. He’s not cowering; he’s running, climbing a tree, and firing shots. Schnapp told Deadline even he didn’t realize any of this until the Season 5 table read, which is wild considering he has been playing Will for nearly a decade.
"The first five minutes was so gratifying for me. I was like, 'Oh my god, I finally know what happened,' but it’s helpful, honestly, to play and perform."
Schnapp admitted he always thought Will was the fragile one — basically hiding the whole time — and this was the first he learned his character was actively resisting. That reframes Will not as the perpetual victim, but as a kid who was fighting from day one. It also gives Schnapp a sturdier foundation for where Will’s headed now.
Yup, this was planned
This isn’t a retcon the Duffers tossed in at the last minute. Ross Duffer told Deadline that when they sat down to build Season 5, revisiting Will’s disappearance was the first thing on the board. The idea is to pull the story full circle and make it clear: Will’s connection to Vecna runs deeper than anyone else’s, and the moment he was dragged to the Hawkins Library in the Upside Down is where that twisted bond really started.
So what does that mean for the endgame?
If Will’s been stronger than we gave him credit for, that changes how you look at the final showdown. He’s not just the guy everyone protects — he may be the linchpin in taking down Vecna. It’s a smart pivot, and honestly, a satisfying one after all the misery that kid’s been through.
When you can watch
- Volume 1 (Episodes 1–4): November 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST
- Volume 2 (Episodes 5–7): December 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST
- Finale (Episode 8): December 31, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST
The finale is titled "The Rightside Up" and will also get a limited theatrical run in the US and Canada — a nice excuse to watch that last blowout with a crowd.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix now. Season 5 kicks off with Volume 1 on November 26, 2025.