Stranger Things actor claims his character's real superpower is his gayness

Noah Schnapp, the actor who plays WIll Byers in Stranger Things has claimed that his character's real superpower is his queerness. 

The actor made the comments in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. The interviewer says to Schnapp that Vecna thought Will's secret (being gay) was his weakness. Schnapp replies: "But it's his superpower, b*tch! Oh my god."

"Wow, one of the best queer characters we've ever had. What a powerful message to send to kids. Like, no, this isn't your weakness. This is your superpower. This is how you defeat the big, bad evil monster. The whole show is accepting what you thought was your weakness."

"Being who you are is where our power comes from. It's really powerful and I'm very moved and touched by that," his co-star Jamie Campbell Bower added.

Stranger Things has come under fire in recent weeks as Season 5 has been widely criticized for its woke messaging and targeting of a young audience. Viewers have also pointed to pacing and continuity problems. One scene in the episode “The Bridge” features Byers, played by Schnapp, coming out as gay. Critics say the moment feels out of place because it occurs while the show portrays the world as being on the brink of destruction.

Unsurprisingly, it has the distinction of being the lowest rated episode of Stranger Things on IMDb. 

The franchise has also com under fire for its collaboration with Sesame Street. Specifically, what's being called into question is the targeting of young children while the show features graphic depictions of alien rape and other troubling scenes. 

Netflix said the Stranger Things x Sesame Street collaboration includes a limited collection of nine apparel and accessory items, sold exclusively through the Netflix Shop. The release comes ahead of the Stranger Things finale, which is set to stream on December 31. Earlier this year, Netflix launched a reimagined season of Sesame Street for global audiences on November 10, and the crossover expands on a coordinated “Sesame Things” social media campaign across Netflix, Stranger Things, and Sesame Street platforms.

Human Events host Jack Posobiec has argued that Stranger Things is marketed to children and families and then uses that audience to introduce multiple gay characters, which he describes as deliberate messaging rather than coincidence. Posobiec has also criticized the show for presenting itself as a depiction of middle America in the 1980s while reshaping that era to reflect modern political and LGBTQ priorities, calling it a form of historical revisionism.

He has pointed to the corporate context as central to his critique, citing Susan Rice’s position on Netflix’s board and the company’s multimillion-dollar deals with Barack and Michelle Obama. Posobiec points out that the series is a product of what he describes as Hollywood’s peak “wokeness” era, before the industry began pivoting away from that approach amid significant fan backlash.