Noah Schnapp addresses ‘Byler’ shipping and sends Stranger Things fans into a spin

Noah Schnapp has sent Stranger Things fans into a spin after being grilled by Andy Cohen on whether his character Will Byers will end up with his best friend, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard).

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen last night (16 December), Noah Schnapp got the fright of his life after being questioned about fans ‘shipping’ ‘Byler’ – the Stranger Things fandom name for Will and Mike as a couple.

“What’s your reaction to everyone wanting Will and Mike to be together?” Cohen asked, instantly sending Schnapp, 21, into a nervous fluster.

“Oh man, are we live? Um,” he said, twisting in his chair.

“I think… I mean look, it’s like a real kind of authentic representation of a queer kid in the ‘80s. I’ve dealt with that myself, being in love with a friend and maybe they don’t love you back or they feel differently,” he said coyly.

“I’m not gonna spoil anything but [showrunners] The Duffers close it really well.”

Questioned by Cohen on whether he is “happy” with how the show ends, Schnapp confirmed that yes, he is, although he and the other cast members are yet to see the big finale on screen.

For years, ‘Byler’ has caused a split between the Stranger Things fandom, with some being devout believers that the friends will end up as a couple, and others believing that Will’s love for Mike – which was confirmed during season four – will only ever be unrequited.

After the first four episodes of the fifth and final season were released at the end of November, fans were left with no answers as to whether the duo will become more than platonic besties.

Wolfhard himself has previously cast doubt on whether the friends would ever become lovers, saying that it wouldn’t necessarily feel “earned” for them to get together.

Still, Schnapp has caused an earthquake within the ‘Byler’ subsection of the fandom, with some believing that the actor’s vague comments are confirmation that the friends will get together, and others suggesting that they are confirmation that they definitely won’t.

Picking up on Schnapp saying he doesn’t wish to “spoil anything”, one fan wrote in the YouTube comment section under the interview: “OH BYLER IS SO ENDGAME Y’ALL.”

Others have taken Schnapp’s reference to unrequited love as an indication that Mike will admit he doesn’t love Will back.

“Who would’ve guessed it would’ve been Noah that gave me Byler doubt tonight,” one upset fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Guys don’t freak out over Noah’s recent comment on Byler,” another reassured their X followers. “First of all there’s nothing worrisome about it. He has to be tight lipped. Netflix didn’t even show their scenes in the trailer, he can’t say s**t and yet he said ‘maybe’ he doesn’t love you back.”

A third agreed, writing: “People getting Byler doubt over what Noah said are so silly are you people actually serious. If it’s unrequited it’s NOT a spoiler. That’s what people already assume and what Will himself thinks as of right now. So it’s not a spoiler but he said he can’t spoil further. THINK.”

Another fan suggested that maybe, just maybe, Schnapp was giving intentionally ambiguous answers. 

“People here actually believe Noah will spill spoiler of the ending???? He used to be a walking spoiler but recently he did pretty good job giving ambiguous answers,” they wrote.

The next three episodes of Stranger Things season five will stream on Netflix on 25 December in the US and 26 December in the UK. The season finale will air on 31 December in the US and 1 January in the UK.

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