Stranger Things 5: Noah Schnapp Unpacks Will Byers' Final Secrets and That 'Nerve Wracking' Scene

The mystery that started it all has finally been solved. With the release of Stranger Things season 5's final episodes, the years-long question of why Will Byers was the first victim of the Upside Down now has an answer. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Noah Schnapp has unpacked the character's pivotal role in the show's endgame.

Vecna's Puppet: Will's True Purpose

According to the Entertainment Weekly report, the final episodes (505-507) reveal that Will was far more than just a victim. Vecna used Will as a puppet to spy on Hawkins, commanding his mind to create the network of underground tunnels while he slept. This was all part of Vecna's master plan to merge the real world with his dark dimension. Series co-creators the Duffer Brothers explained they started laying this groundwork "all the way back in season 2."

From Scared Boy to Leader

For Noah Schnapp, this season offered his "meatiest material yet." He described Will's transformation, telling EW he got to step into a "leader, triumphant, assertive role where he doesn't just fall down." Schnapp noted that a scene in episode 7 contained the most dialogue he's ever had in the entire series, allowing him to finally express everything Will had bottled in.

"A Lot of Pressure": Behind the Emotional Coming-Out Scene

Another crucial moment for Will this season is his emotional coming-out scene, where he reveals to the entire group that he's gay. The Duffer Brothers confirmed this character arc was planned as far back as season 1. Schnapp admitted filming the scene was "a lot of pressure and very nerve wracking." It was shot in the middle of the night, between 2 and 4 a.m., with the entire main cast present. "The whole cast was so gracious and so supportive that day," he said. "They gave me that space... and I really appreciated that."