Stranger Things: Finn Wolfhard addresses fans shipping ‘Byler’ (EXCLUSIVE)
"I feel like if it did happen, it wouldn’t feel that earned"
By Aaron Sugg
Finn Wolfhard has addressed Stranger Things fans shipping his on-screen character Mike Wheeler with Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp.
With the fifth and final series of Stranger Things set to arrive on Netflix tomorrow (26 November), fans are excited to see where Byers’ sexuality storyline will go.
Speaking exclusively to Attitude, Wolfhard, 22, suggested the audience has been given enough context for that storyline, and that this relationship development would not “feel that earned.”
“What’s so great about the show is that people are able to sort of feed themselves” – Finn Wolfhard
Will and Robin having each other in season 5 is so important to me pic.twitter.com/xoLRokfeX1
— Daily Byler (@bylerszone) November 23, 2025
“The shipping thing, that’s always, I think, something with fans of the show,” said Wolfhard.
On his on-screen relationship with Schnapp, he added: “That’s something in the show that I feel like if it did happen, it wouldn’t feel that earned.”
“I don’t really look as much on the internet about that stuff” – Finn Wolfhard on Byler shipping
“there were never any signs” pic.twitter.com/VLcdMmYZBD
— hal (@bookinitout) November 25, 2025
He continued: “What’s so great about the show is that people are able to sort of feed themselves and be accepted for who they are.”
“I don’t really look as much on the internet about stuff.”
Similarly to Wolfhard, Schnapp has spoken out about the fan ship, revealing to Cosmopolitan that he also ignores the fan fiction.
“It’s probably the most commented comment in all my late-night videos. And I always ignore it,” said the actor, who is gay.
Schnapp publicly came out as gay on 5 January 2023 via a TikTok video with the text: “When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared… for 18 years and all they said was ‘we know.’”
“What’s fun is reading some that are true” – Gaten Matarazzo on true fan fiction
Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things, weighed in, saying: “It’s fun and engaging, and it’s really cool that people have the opportunity to discuss what they want to see or even predict.”
He later added: “What’s fun is reading some that are true and that’s always really, like, freaky.”
Co-creator Ross Duffer revealed to Variety that despite fan hopes to see Will come out as gay in series five, his storyline will not focus on his sexuality.
“Part of his journey – it’s not just sexuality, it’s Will coming into his own as a young man,” said Duffer.
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