With production on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things given the green light, Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer find themselves dealing with a number of issues.
As Eleven and her friends gear up to take on Vecna and his army of monsters, the Duffer brothers are tasked with ensuring they tie up all the loose ends and give fans of the hit Netflix sci-fi thriller a satisfying wrap-up.
Amid this, they also face the massive task of finding an apt place for Noah Schnapp in the final adventure, as the young actor is under the scanner for his behind-the-scenes antics.
Stranger Things Star Noah Schnapp Has a History of Angering Fans
Stranger Things first premiered in 2016 on Netflix, introducing fans to a group of young friends living in 1980s Indiana. The group uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments and terrifying supernatural forces after the disappearance of Will Byers.
Noah Schnapp portrayed Will, who instantly became a fan-favorite for dodging a humanoid predator in an alternative dimension before joining the Hawkins group in their search for mysterious answers in the following seasons of Stranger Things.
However, in recent years, the 19-year-old has come under heavy scrutiny for a number of reasons. In 2020, he received backlash after a video went viral of him and his friends singing along to Chris Brown’s part in Lil Dicky’s song Freaky Friday. Some users on X accused Schnapp of not censoring the N-word while repeating Brown’s lines.
The Stranger Things star addressed the issue and insisted he didn’t use the racial slur. He wrote on his Instagram story (via BBC):
“Hi guys. recently a video from last summer has gotten out of me dancing and singing a song while singing the word ‘neighbor’ over the n word. I would truly never say the n word and i’m [sic] not the type of person. I genuinely have never used that word in my life. using the word ‘neighbor’ in that song was just something my camp friends and i did. I hope you all understand i could never even think about doing that. my friends also would never post a video, or support me, if i was saying that slur without hesitation.”
In 2022, he was under fire for sharing his private conversation with Doja Cat, who talked to him about her crush on Stranger Things co-star, Joseph Quinn. And now he’s embroiled in another controversy that has led to netizens threatening to boycott his show.
What Noah Schnapp Said About the Hamas-Israel Conflict
In October of 2023, Schnapp made the headlines after his controversial comments concerning the Hamas-Israel conflict.
The actor condemned the violence against Israel before criticizing those who didn’t use their platforms to speak out in support of Israel.
“You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism. It shouldn’t be a difficult choice. Shame on you,” he said.
Such a blanket remark infuriated many on social media, who urged Netflix to fire him from Stranger Things 5.
When the official Instagram account of the show announced that production for Season 5 had officially begun, their comment section got flooded with fans questioning his inclusion.
Accordingly, the next few months are going to be very tricky for the Duffer brothers, as they look to deliver an engrossing chapter without inviting fan anger.
