Stranger Things star calls for more deaths – and fans pick who should die

Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo has called for more deaths in the series, and fans have unanimously named one character in particular they want to die. 

Last week, Netflix teased its 2024 slate, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into, the highlight being Squid Game Season 2. There will also be new installments from Cobra Kai, The Umbrella Academy, Bridgerton, and Emily in Paris. 

In short, this year is shaping up to be a strong one for returning Netflix hits. But the same can’t be said for Stranger Things. Cameras couldn’t start rolling until January 2024 following delays caused by the Hollywood strikes. 

Due to the VFX and other cinematic elements that go into creating Stranger Things, don’t expect to see Season 5 until 2025. Until then, there are plenty of details to pore over, including the one thing Dustin Henderson star Gaten Matarazzo would change about the direction of the sci-fi series.

Stranger Things star calls for more deaths – and fans pick one name

Speaking to CBR, Matarazzo suggested that Stranger Things should “kill more” characters, believing the series would be better if the “stakes were much higher” – but fans have taken the opportunity to express their desire to kill off Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

“It might sound messed up but we should kill more people,” Matarazzo told the outlet. “This show would be so much better if the stakes were much higher, like at any moment any of these kids can kick it. I feel like we’re all too safe.”

X/@DiscussingFilm

In response to an X post about the comments, one fan wrote, “He’s talking about Will.” Another bluntly said, “Season 5 should be 6 hours of Will dying on loop,” to which a third elaborated, “It should be a compilation episode of him dying in 30 different scenarios kind of like ABC’s of death but starring Will in every segment.”

“Agreed. Will Byers being the first to go,” added a fourth, while a fifth commented, “He’s talking about Will and he wants it to happen 5 minutes into the first episode.”

If you’re a tad confused, the reason so many Stranger Things fans want to see Will die in the show is due to the controversy surrounding the character’s star, Noah Schnapp, the latest being in relation to the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

Last year, after taking to Instagram to share a lengthy statement in which he criticized those “choosing sides,” footage emerged showing him laughing with friends in a coffee shop as they passed around stickers saying “Zionism is sexy” and “Hamas is Isis.”

While there was widespread backlash, with many calling on Netflix to remove Schnapp from Season 5, for weeks Schnapp didn’t respond and turned off or limited comments on his social media posts. 

However, this all changed in mid-January when he shared a TikTok video saying he felt that his “thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued,” and that everyone should “stand together for humanity and for peace.”

But fans weren’t buying it, with Schnapp’s response being described as a “PR apology,” and others saying they “weren’t fooled” by his words. Despite the ongoing backlash to the actor, he will be returning to the series for the final chapter.