Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard faces backlash after ‘mocking’ Will’s coming-out scene

It’s been nearly three weeks since the Stranger Things finale graced our screens, but the backlash from fans is far from over.

Now, star Finn Wolfhard has come under fire after a Saturday Night Live joke about one particular scene in the final season didn’t land.

Wolfhard played Mike Wheeler on Netflix’s beloved sci-fi show. Mike is one of the core members of the Hawkins party alongside his ride-or-die pals Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin).

During Wolfhard’s SNL debut, a skit revealed what Stranger Things’ possible spin-off show could be, should Netflix decide to milk that cow further.

“Stranger Things is back with sequels, prequels, requels, and spin-offs,” a voiceover said in the sketch’s parody Netflix ad, before presenting fans with faux trailers for upcoming faux shows.

The fake promo included Strangerous Minds, a show where Steve Harrington takes a teaching job at an LA school, and The Wheeler Report, where Nancy Wheeler pursues her journalism career through perilous missions, as well as a Sex and the City spoof where Wolfhard’s Mike takes a bite off the Big Apple.

Finn Wolfhard made his SNL debut on 17 January. (SNL)

Titled Mike in Manhattan, the trailer saw Mike channel his inner Carrie Bradshaw as he chases his dream of becoming a writer in 1990s New York. More And Just Like That… than Sex and the City, the scene included a Stranger Things reunion for only three of the four core party members — Mike, Matarazzo’s Dustin and McLaughlin’s Lucas. Meanwhile, Schnapp’s Will was nowhere to be seen.

SNL provided an explanation for Will’s absence, joking that his coming out scene was still playing.

“And before you get all mad and go, ‘How come Will isn’t in that?’ It’s because his coming out scene is still going on,” the voiceover joked about Schnapp’s five-minute monologue featured in episode seven, ‘The Bridge’. Some saw the skit in poor taste, with fans slamming the SNL joke as 'uncalled for' on Instagram.

Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in season 5 of Stranger Things. (Netflix)

“Not the Will/Noah mocking [broken heart emoji] that was really uncalled for,” one person wrote, while a second Stranger Things fan wrote: “Your jokes were so distasteful, making fun of Will’s coming out scene and Noah being the only one not there…homophobia doesn’t look good on you.”

“That will joke was weird,” was another comment.

Other fans defended SNL, with one explaining: “Holy hell people get a grip honestly, they’re clearly making fun of the writers.”

"EXACTLYYYY, they aren’t even hating on Noah or Will," someone else wrote. "[Creators, the Duffer Brothers] didn’t have to write the scene like that. The original scene was basically making a joke out of Will coming out anyways. They should have just done it with Joyce not hold a whole conference."

Tyla has reached out to Wolfhard's representatives for comment, but didn't immediately hear back.

Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, confirmed that Mike realised he was Will's crush during his coming out speech. (Netflix)

Will’s coming out scene earned mixed reactions, with some praising Schnapp’s acting while others pointing out the forced dialogue — particularly when compared to another coming out earlier in the show.

Season 3 included a poignant scene where Maya Hawke’s character Robin Buckley comes out as a lesbian to Steve (Joe Keery). It’s an organic, beautiful conversation between the two characters, with Steve making sure to not put his foot in his mouth by make a big deal about it.

The emotional moment cemented the strong friendship between Steve and Robin, with the latter taking on a prominent role in helping Will come to terms with his sexuality in season 5.