Stranger Things is once again facing boycott calls, as well as demands to fire one of its leading stars.
Production on the final season is set to begin in January, after a 10-month delay due to the writers’ strike. And a recent interview with The Guardian with creators Ross and Matt Duffer has already dropped a few hints about the long-awaited fifth installment—including potential endings and whether fans will be happy with their creative decisions.
But, as titbits from the interview quickly went viral, it reignited the discussion around the series’ star Noah Schnapp and his recent remarks on the Israel-Hamas war.
Kristy Sparow/WireImage
On October 7, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel subsequently launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip ahead of a ground offensive into the area. As of December 12, over 17,700 Gazans have been killed and roughly 90 percent of residents have been displaced, according to The Associated Press.
After news of the initial Hamas attack broke, Schnapp—who plays Will Byers—took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the conflict. “You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism,” the 19-year-old Jewish American wrote, sparking uproar.He also acknowledged that Hamas does not represent all Palestinians and called for peace on both sides.
As the war progressed, Schnapp was slammed for posting a video on social media that featured stickers reading “Zionism is Sexy.” There can be various interpretations of what constitutes Zionism, politically and throughout history, but it can be roughly summarized today as the support for the state of Israel.
Netflix
Fans took to social media to express their dissent after The Guardian interview, with one user demanding: “GET RID OF NOAH SCHNAPP.”
“We want the first episode of s5 to start with will’s death,” said ruben on X, formerly Twitter.
“You should put Will somewhere in the upside down and never come back,” wrote etsumi.
“Noah better be preparing to be unemployed after this last season,” said Paul.
“Noah needs to be fired and sent to the unemployment line asap,” agreed Ryan.
“It’s a shame really,” commented Melonnaise. “I loved Will Byers as a character but having him play Will has definitely ruined it for me.”
“Reminder that its not just Noah but also one of the Duffer Brothers and the actor for Murray that are also zionists,” claimed Chia Seeds. “So no matter what any support for the show is support for zionism.”
Newsweek has reached out to Noah Schnapp, Matt and Ross Duffer, and Netflix for comment via email.
Other fans praised the Duffer Brothers, professing their excitement for season 5.
“Glad they’re Back,” said @rgsuccess.
“One of my favourite shows!” wrote Sofiaaa.
“I am so excited and sad to see the show end,” said @MetaNarrativeCD.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images Entertainment
In October, Ross Duffer was one of several celebrities to sign a letter to President Joe Biden calling for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, along with Schnapp, actor Brett Gelman and executive producer Shawn Levy.
While the letter condemned the militant group and conveyed support for both the Jewish community in Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, the decision to sign sparked debate online.
Stranger Things star Brett Gelman, who plays Murray Bauman, also recently divided opinions online with his comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The 47-year-old has been vocal in his support of Israel, calling pro-Palestinian supports and Generation Z—11 to 26 year olds—”fake woke liberals” on Instagram.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.