Stranger Things Creators Spent More Time Writing Will “Coming-Out” Scene Than the Show’s World-Ending Plot

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This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things 5, including a major scene involving Will Byers

Okay, so this season of Stranger Things throws everything at the wall – the world’s ending, dimensions are crumbling, huge secrets are coming out. But honestly? The most surprising thing wasn’t any of that. It was something else entirely, and I definitely didn’t see it coming.

As a huge Stranger Things fan, I was really surprised to learn that the scene where Will comes out to his friends and family actually took the Duffer Brothers longer to write than anything else in the entire show – all five seasons! Seriously, they spent more time crafting that emotional moment than they did on world-ending events, Vecna’s big plan, or even unraveling the mysteries that have kept us hooked for a decade. It really speaks to how important that scene was to them, and honestly, it shows when you watch it.

This was the scene that demanded the most time, concern, and creative caution.

Just that one detail brings up some difficult questions about what’s most important, particularly considering everything else going on in the fifth season of Stranger Things.

The Duffers Admit It

Co-creator Matt Duffer shared this information in an interview with Variety after the episode aired.

Matt Duffer said they were really focused on making sure the show was perfect, and they’re understandably anxious to see how audiences will react.

He explained the worry wasn’t simply about how the audience would react, but also about whether Noah Schnapp, the actor playing the role, would be comfortable with the scene.

He explained that the story had to feel genuine and meaningful to Noah. They were essentially creating it with and for him.

Duffer added that Schnapp’s response was emotional.

“He wrote us sobbing after he read it. So it really worked and resonated for him, which was great.”

While seeming like a thoughtful moment, this scene actually highlights something bigger: the story completely paused during a crucial point – the second-to-last episode of a season where the world was at risk – to focus on it. This shows how incredibly important and carefully handled this particular scene was.

A Season With Real Stakes…Paused

To put that creative emphasis into perspective, Season 5, Volume 2 includes:

  • Nancy nearly destroying the world
  • Dustin discovering the true nature of the Upside Down
  • Max returning to her physical body
  • Vecna escalating toward a final confrontation

The show’s creators say that depicting a teenager discussing his sexuality took far more careful consideration than any other scene they filmed.

That contrast is impossible to ignore.

Why This Moment Got Special Treatment

This is where analysis becomes unavoidable.

The creators, the Duffer brothers, have said they approached this scene with extra care. It wasn’t just meant to be a touching moment or show character growth; they saw it as a crucial scene that absolutely had to work, and they were more worried about getting it wrong than anything else in the story.

When viewed in isolation, that might seem admirable.

When viewed in context, it raises legitimate questions.

Noah Schnapp has shared that, starting at age 12, the mainstream media frequently asked him about his sexuality. This happened long before he became an adult or his character, Will, publicly came out on screen.

That history matters.

This scene isn’t happening in isolation. It follows years of intense media attention, public discussion, and pressure on both the character and the actor playing him. Given that context, it’s fair to wonder if the careful crafting of this moment is driven by genuine storytelling – or by a desire to avoid criticism and manage expectations from activists and the media.

The Duffer brothers haven’t claimed they were influenced by external criticism, but their worry about how the show will be received tells us everything we need to know. It’s clear they’re concerned about audience reaction.

Creative Priorities Under the Microscope

Everyone acknowledges Will Byers’ personal struggles are important to him as a character, even if viewers don’t necessarily agree with how the show handled them. However, focusing so heavily on his story in the second-to-last episode—especially considering the writers admitted it was the most difficult scene to create in a show filled with terrifying and dangerous events—naturally leads people to question that choice.

It seems some subjects have become more important than the story’s plot or genre – what fans really focus on. This isn’t due to intricate storylines, but because these topics are sensitive and carry cultural significance.

That isn’t a storytelling problem. It’s an industry one.

The Bigger Takeaway

The scene with Will in Stranger Things is likely to be celebrated by many entertainment journalists as a bold, significant, and long-awaited moment. However, the truly interesting story isn’t the scene itself, but what took place during its production.

When filmmakers say they focused more on a minor detail like this than on the major catastrophes in their stories, it reveals what they truly see as the biggest threats in today’s world.

And it isn’t Vecna.

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2025-12-28 18:58