Stranger Things does a great job at keeping viewers engaged. The Mind Flayer was revealed as a villain and seasons later its origins were explained. Joyce Byers and James "Jim" Hopper finally kissed in Season 4. They could have gone further but that darn phone!
With the final season in sight, it's extremely likely that Will Byers' sexuality will be addressed. Over the course of four seasons it's been made clear he's gay. So it's safe to assume he'll be coming out of the closet in the final season.
Will Byers' sexuality isn't something that came out of nowhere. It's not something that will happen because a lot of fans wanted it. The truth is clues to Will being part of the LGBTQ+ community were there since the beginning.
As early as Season 1 Joyce Byers, his mother, guessed he might be gay. When she goes to meet Hopper at the police station she mentions that kids have said Will is queer. Hopper does end up asking for clarification but Joyce is annoyed as she doesn't think it matters.
To put some context to that scene for those that might have forgotten: Joyce came to Hopper to report Will missing. So of course when he shows interest in Will being queer, she is annoyed as her son not being straight shouldn't matter. I really wish I had that kind of mom when growing up.
Stranger Things Season 3 sees all of the kids with a love interest. Well...nearly everyone...Will doesn't have anyone. So when he wants to play Dungeons and Dragons or does anything it really stands out like a sore thumb. Many saw him not having a love interest as a clear sign that he was gay and crushing on Mike.
I honestly didn't pick up on Will being gay in Season 3 because he didn't have a love interest. I saw it more as the fact the character hadn't had a pleasant time in the previous two seasons. The first season he spent the majority of time as a prisoner in the Upside Down. The second season saw him as a pawn of the Mind Flayer. This didn't give Will much time to be a normal kid with normal experiences.
Also...some people develop slower than others. Not everyone wants a boyfriend/girlfriend when they're young and that doesn't mean they're part of the LGBTQ+ community. I didn't start developing a love for the romance and erotica genres until I was an adult. I didn't feel like having sex until I was an adult. But those facts aren't indicators that I'm part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The fact I'm agender and bisexual is incidental.
While Will Byers' sexuality was hinted at in previous seasons, it was only in Season 4 that things became extremely clear. Though I've talked with some people that didn't realize the very obvious clues. One person I talked to was straight and didn't pick up on the clues because they think the LGBTQ+ community is inherently sexual. When in reality being bisexual doesn't mean I'm more into sex than a straight person and my personality isn't limited by my sexual preferences.
One clue into Will's sexuality is that Will lies to Mike about El commissioning the painting. The only reason he would lie about the painting is because he's embarrassed about showing it to his crush. He wouldn't even allow El to glance at it because he wanted Mike to be the first person who saw it. Thus solidifying the fact that the painting is extremely important in Will's mind.
Another indicator of Will's sexuality is a speech he gives to Mike. On the surface he is helping to reassure Mike about his relationship with El. Previously in the season Mike and El had an argument but they couldn't come to a peaceful resolution as the government took her away soon after. But Will wasn't really reassuring Mike about El.
Will was really coming out and professing his love for Mike. But Mike, in pure straight obliviousness, didn't realize this. He doesn't even think there is subtext in Will's speech.
Jonathan, Will's older brother, seems to know what's going on. He doesn't say he know his little brother is gay, but he seems to know. The pair are close so it makes sense that Jonathan would know. So what does he do to indicate he knows that Will isn't straight?
Jonathan reassures Will that he will love him no matter what. There is so much that is said with looks alone in that scene. Reassuring Will in that manner doesn't make sense unless Jonathan knows his younger brother is gay. I really like that, no matter what, Will has the support of his family.
Season 5 will be Stranger Things' final season. This means the Duffer Brothers can go all out while resolving subplots. One of those subplots will be clarifying Will's sexuality for all those who haven't picked up on all the clues in past seasons.
In the final season of Stranger Things, Will will finally admit his feelings to Mike. It should be a heartfelt scene where Mike will prove himself a true friend and accept Will. This is even if Mike doesn't have the same feelings for his friend.
One thing I hope doesn't happen when Will comes out of the closet is him becoming involved in a love triangle. The ultimate battle should be the main focus, not if Mike and Will are endgame. But as the series preys on our nostalgia and love triangles are popular, it's most likely Will will be in a love triangle with Mike and El.
So who do I ship Will with? Who I ship him with and who I want him to canonically end up with are two completely different answers. Shipping, to me, is for my personal enjoyment and I don't care for shipping wars as I don't understand the point of them.
I don't care who Will ends up with. Heck, I don't care if he's single by the end of the series. All I want is for him to be happy in life as he deserves it.
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