Stranger Things season 5 spoilers ahead
Surprise, Surprise. Will Byers finally has his big moment in Stranger Things season 5: Volume 1, and creators Matt and Ross Duffer knew exactly how to elevate his character. From a scared kid in Hawkins to breaking demogorgons' limbs, Byers had come a long way, but actor Noah Schnapp was deliberately kept in the dark about his character's arc as the creators couldn't "trust him" with this highly-confidential information.
"I remember the scripts being written the year prior, and Shawn Levy and some of some of the directors not telling me explicitly, because they never trust me with any of the information," he told Variety, adding, "But they told me, like, 'Sit tight, be excited, like, there’s some good stuff coming.' I was like, 'Oh, OK, whatever.' We only get the scripts a week or so before the table reads. I read Episode 4 the day of the table read, because I was like, 'OK, I have to make sure I know my parts a little bit so I don’t sound like an idiot'."
He recalled how he reacted when he read about the big reveal. "So I was skimming it, and then, like, literally, in the shower getting ready, I got to the end, and I was like, 'Oh my God!' I ran out of the shower screaming." But considering the series was set to premiere two years after filming, Schnapp had to keep the secret to himself, and he revealed that it was hard not to spill the beans.
But he did eventually share it with his assistant. "I lived with an assistant. Her name is Brooke. And I was like, 'Brooke! Oh, my God, I have powers!' I wanted to tell everyone I knew. And of course, I had to wait two years for anyone to see it. But: coolest thing ever," he said.
When they were on set filming, Schnapp was given full freedom to explore his "newly-found powers". "They kind of just left it up to me, which was a challenge, but exciting. There’s so much, with the Demo-vision as well — just all of these supernatural things that are presented brand new and there’s no reference to anything in the show or anything in real life, so you kind of just have to create it on your own," he noted.
Schnapp was extremely elated with his character undergoing a tremendous change that he sent series co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer a long text the day after filming. "You guys don’t understand how grateful I am for this show and this character, and the way you wrote Will for the final season is just something I could have never dreamed of," he told them.
What happened to Will Byers at the end of Season 5: Volume 1?
For the unversed, in the climactic battle of Stranger Things 5: Volume 1 titled 'Sorcerer', the Upside Down’s creatures breach the military zone, massacring soldiers who underestimated them. Robin and Murray attempt to evacuate Hawkins’ school children in a truck, only to be chased by Demogorgons, while Eleven and Hopper discover that Eight, another telekinetic kid from the Hawkins Lab experiments, is alive and being held in the Upside Down.
Vecna emerges through the Upside Down, effortlessly overpowering Joyce, Mike, Will, and the remaining soldiers. He manipulates their weapons and grenades, then levitates Will to confront him directly, taunting him and the children he’s trying to save. As Demogorgons drag the kids into the Upside Down, Vecna calls them “perfect vessels” and singles out Will, remarking how easily he broke and showed what was possible.
At the crucial moment, Will remembers memories of love, friendship, and courage, drawing strength from them. He unexpectedly accesses powers we hadn’t seen before, allowing him to manipulate the Demogorgons. Through the hive mind, he stops the monsters in their tracks, sees through their eyes, and destroys them, saving his friends.
Volume 1 ends with Will, bloodied but resolute, staring purposefully into the distance, signalling the emergence of his hidden abilities and setting the stage for the next chapter.