Fan-Asks AI to Rewrite ‘Will Byers Comes Out’ Scene To Better Reflect 1980s – The Result Is Wild
A fan-made version of the “Will Byers comes out” scene from Stranger Things has sparked a lot of attention online. Somebody asked Grok to rewrite the scene so it better reflected the 1980s. In this version, instead of being met with support, Will faces denial from his friends and family, creating a very different tone.
The AI-generated video shows Will declaring that he is gay, with his friends reacting with disgust. His mother tries to tell him it’s not the right time to come out, but Will responds sharply, “Hope you didn’t want grandkids, Mom, because this queen thinks that girl parts are icky.” When Mike asks if Will likes other guys, he answers honestly, saying, “I like you, specifically.”
The video ends with Will being shot by Eleven due to going overboard with his strategy to defeat Vecna, and well with stereotypes.
I asked @Grok to rewrite the “Will Byers comes out” scene to better reflect the 1980s time period.
— Huff (@Huff4Congress) December 28, 2025
All rights @Netflix @Stranger_Things pic.twitter.com/Hv49irQWUR
At the same time, Stranger Things season 5 has received significant backlash. According to audience scores, it is the only season of the show rated “Rotten,” and some fans are calling for a boycott.
In the original scene, Will explained that he had hidden part of himself because he didn’t want to be treated differently. He told his friends that while he shared their hobbies and memories, there was one truth he had avoided revealing.
“I haven’t told any of you this because I didn’t want you to see me as different. But the truth is, I am. I am different,” Will said, revealing that he doesn’t like girls the way his friends do and that he had once had a crush on someone who could not return his feelings.
The scene caused a wave of reactions online. Some fans criticized Netflix for focusing on Will’s s***** in the final season. One wrote, “DID YOU KNOW🚨: Netflix decided to RUIN their most popular show of all-time, Stranger Things, by focusing their final season on Will coming out as a homosexual, promoting the propaganda that Will’s superpowers are because he’s ‘embraced his s*****.’”
Others commented, “The woke mind virus has infected everything. Come on Netflix, you can do better.”
Some members of the queer community also had mixed responses. In the show, Will describes a vision from Vecna showing a future where his friends respond with care instead of rejection, which made him isolate himself.
While the scene aimed to be empowering, it also reignited debate about “Byler,” the fan theory about a possible romantic future between Will and Mike. The episode confirms that Mike is the person Will once had feelings for.
Fans shared their frustration on social media. One said, “After all these years we get a poorly executed five-minute scene that pulls everything together?” Another wrote, “That coming out scene was a spit in the face of all queer fans.” Some also questioned how Will’s feelings were portrayed toward Mike. “So Mike could swap spit with some girl that he can’t even tell he loves her? How is that fair after everything Will has been through?”
Not all viewers were disappointed. A few argued the scene showed an important step in Will’s personal journey and suggested his story might not be fully over. However, many believe that the episode confirmed Will’s romantic story while allowing him to embrace his identity.
The debate over Will Byers’ coming out scene highlights how difficult it is to balance character development with audience expectations in long-running shows. It also shows how passionate fans are about the direction of their favorite series.
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