‘Stranger Things’ 4: Jonathan and Will’s Emotional Scene Wasn’t in the Original Script – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

July 15, 2022 Kim Martel

Stranger Things 4 takes the cake for some of the series’s most heart-wrenching scenes. In “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback,” fans reached for the tissue box as one of Will’s most pivotal scenes involved his speculated sexuality. After his obvious, yet not so obvious, talk with Mike, Will and his brother Jonathan have a heart-to-heart in Stranger Things 4. Noah Schnapp reveals that the emotional moment between the siblings was written later.

[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things 4. ]

Jonathan hints that he knows about Will being gay in ‘Stranger Things’ 4

Fans have speculated about Will’s sexuality since the first season. The fourth season fueled it even further. But fans were upset as the season strongly hinted at Will being gay but still kept it a mystery. When Will gives Mike a speech about Eleven being different, hoping to get accepted and making her special, fans knew. Not only fans but Jonathan as well. He looked at Will with a knowing look through the rearview mirror.

Jonathan’s possibly knowing about Will being gay has been seen during small moments in the series but was later confirmed. At the Surfer Boy Pizza parlor, Will and Jonathan have a tear-jerking moment. Jonathan starts a conversation about Will as a little boy.

He knows they have lost touch over the years but tells Will, “I don’t want you to forget that I’m here. And I’ll always be here. No matter what, because you’re my brother. And I love you. And there is nothing in this world, okay, absolutely nothing, that will ever change that.”

The emotional scenes between the brothers alluded to Jonathan telling Will he knows about his sexuality. For Jonathan, it makes no difference to him. Noah Schnapp reveals the scene between Will and Jonathan in Stranger Things 4 was written later.

Noah Schnapp’s sobbing moment in the van led to Will and Jonathan’s scene

Stranger Things 4 is a significant milestone for Will regarding his sexuality. He learns that his older brother is by his side and knows of him being gay. But Schnapp explains in an interview with Variety that the scene was not in the original script.

“So this scene was actually not originally written in the script. It was only until after I did the scene of me in the van, where they saw me crying and the protectiveness that you see with Jonathan looking in the rearview mirror. They were like, we need a scene with that. So they wrote it as we were filming,” said Schnapp.

While fans hoped the season would have made Will’s sexuality clear, Schnapp disagrees and says it was perfect for Will. “It’s also very important for people to see that Will is not alone — because all we ever see of him is struggling and feeling depressed and that he can’t be himself. Jonathan is talking to him in code — it’s just the perfect way to tell someone like Will that he cares about him and he accepts him no matter what. I think it was really wholesome,” said the actor.

Jonathan and Will’s scene was a big step for the character in Stranger Things 4. With Stranger Things 5 being the last season of the Netflix series, there is a lot to address and theories to see come to life. Schnapp has his desires for what will come out of the last season.

Noah Schnapp has already talked about Will’s story with the Duffer Brothers

There are a few theories and questions fans have for Stranger Things 5. From Eddie Munson’s possible return as a D&D character to how Will will be connected to Vecna, the season will be a whirlwind. Schnapp explains he has spoken with the series creators over Will’s next step in the fifth season and his sexuality.

“I called them a few weeks ago and I was like, ‘What’s your plan with Will? Like, with his sexuality, but also with the Upside Down and all of that?’ They have a lot to get to. They’re still working it out, but they have their end goal. There’s so many different things they have to address,” said Schnapp.

Like fans, the actor hopes the season addresses Will’s sexuality and more. “Obviously, we hope for a coming out scene, and I also want to see them address this connection to the Mind Flayer and how that fits into the world. And I’ve always been wondering, why was Will the first victim and the first one captured?”

The actor has also recently confirmed that Will is gay and has been in love with Mike for some time.