Noah Schnapp Shares His Thoughts on Stranger Things Season 5

Noah Schnapp.
Credit :

Mike Coppola/Getty; Courtesy of Netflix

NEED TO KNOW

• Noah Schnapp revealed at PaleyLive’s Stranger Things panel that he contributed his “opinion” to the fifth and final season of the Netflix series.
• “When I was younger on the show, I didn’t think I had an important enough opinion to make a decision,” he reflected.
• The first part of this season discloses that his character, Will Byers, can channel Vecna’s powers.

At the PaleyLive panel on December 18 in New York City, actor Noah Schnapp, 21, shared insights about his growing influence in the production of Stranger Things. He noted that this season marked a significant change in how he approached his role.

Discussing a pivotal moment in the latest season, Schnapp expressed his excitement about his character’s abilities. “The powers were not something I ever experienced or had to work with before, and I was just really excited to play with it,” he said, referring to Will Byers’ newfound powers revealed at the end of the first chapter of the current season.

Noah Schnapp in ‘Stranger Things’ season 5.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

“It’s just fun because there’s no rules with that kind of stuff. It’s just written in the script, there’s no reference, there’s no guidelines,” Schnapp continued. “So it was fun to just create and play with that this season.” This newfound freedom allowed him to express himself more fully as an actor.

Schnapp emphasized the importance of learning to voice his perspectives. “I’d say for the first time, this year, I really learned how to form my own opinion and perspective,” he shared, adding that he felt comfortable approaching creators Matt and Ross Duffer with his ideas for Will’s character.

Reflecting on his earlier years on the show, Schnapp acknowledged his growth: “When I was younger on the show, I didn’t think I had an important enough opinion to make a decision,” he said, recalling his debut in the series in 2016.

Prominent members of the show’s cast, including the Duffer Brothers, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, and Jamie Campbell Bower, were present at the panel moderated by Perri Nemiroff.

Previously, Schnapp revealed in an interview that he was kept in the dark about major plot developments for his character, including the twist concerning his powers. “I remember the scripts being written the year prior,” he noted, sharing his surprise at finally receiving key information.

“They never trust me with any of the information,” he quipped about being kept in the loop, highlighting the secrecy that often surrounds production.

Noah Schnapp in ‘Stranger Things’ season 1.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

In a recent exclusive interview, Schnapp described his reaction to reading the final script as “unbelievable.” He recounted the excitement leading up to the table read, stating, “I remember I had people texting me before the scripts came out like, ‘Noah, watch out. You’re going to like this season.'”

As he prepared for the table read, he experienced a moment of shock while reading in the shower, calling his mother in disbelief about the revelations. “I was skimming it as I was getting ready in the shower,” he said, capturing the intensity of the moment.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 is now available for streaming, with Volume 2 set to release on December 25, featuring three episodes, and the finale scheduled for December 31 at 8 p.m. ET.