The end is near for Stranger Things, but the fandom drama is far from over — especially when it comes to the beloved “Byler” ship.
As fans dive into the final chapter of the hit Netflix series, speculation is at an all-time high about what’s next for Will Byers and Mike Wheeler.
While the series has always delivered on supernatural twists and retro thrills, it’s the emotional arcs that have fans fully invested — none more so than the possibility of Will and Mike ending up together.
And now, both Finn Wolfhard and showrunner Ross Duffer are weighing in.
Finn and Ross address 'Byler' hype
Since day one, some fans have rooted for Will and Mike to become more than just best friends.
Their bond has deepened over the seasons, with Stranger Things 4 revealing that Will harbors romantic feelings for Mike — though he’s yet to officially come out on the show.
In a recent interview with Attitude, Finn Wolfhard opened up about the intense fan attention surrounding “Byler” and whether the show might explore that relationship.
“I mean with the shipping thing, that’s always, I think, a thing with fans of the show," Finn said. "To be honest, that's something in the show that I feel like if that did happen, [it] wouldn't feel that earned?"
He continued: “What's so great about the show is that people are able to sort of be themselves and be accepted for who they are. Honestly, I'll just go and film. I don't really look as much on the internet about this stuff.”
Ross Duffer, who co-created the show with his brother Matt, echoed that sentiment when speaking to the same publication.
“I mean I've seen every ship with every character. Byler's probably one of the loudest groups that we have. I think it's fun. Let the fans have characters they want to see together, dreams about the mythology, where it's gonna go,” Ross said.
“At the end of the day, when we sit down to write the season, you have to sort of shut off all the noise and just do what you think is right for these characters in this story.”
While they may not be giving anything away, it’s clear the creators are aware of the buzz. Still, don't hold your breath — it sounds like the endgame is already in motion.
But Will’s sexuality is no longer up for debate. Back in 2022, Noah Schnapp confirmed what many fans had suspected from the start.
“Obviously, it was hinted at in season 1: It was always kind of there, but you never really knew...now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike,” he told Variety.
Netflix crashes as Stranger Things 5 premieres
When the highly anticipated first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 hit Netflix on November 26, fans were ready — but the platform wasn’t.
Right at 5:00PM PT, Netflix experienced a brief crash that left countless users unable to stream the new episodes. Social media lit up with complaints as fans scrambled to enter Hawkins once again, only to be met with errors.
The outage didn’t last long, thankfully. Netflix quickly got things back on track.
A spokesperson told People: “Some members briefly experienced an issue streaming on TV devices, but service recovered for all accounts within five minutes.”
Ross Duffer had even tried to prepare fans in advance, revealing on Instagram Stories that Netflix had “increased bandwidth by 30 percent to avoid a crash.”
Despite the effort, the demand proved overwhelming — a testament to just how huge the show remains.
Still, the quick fix minimized any major disruption, and fans were soon back to navigating the Upside Down.
The final season promises epic showdowns and high stakes
Set in the fall of 1987, Stranger Things 5 is shaping up to be the most intense season yet.
With a total of eight episodes, Netflix dropped the first four on November 26, with the rest slated to roll out over the coming weeks. The series finale is set for December 31.