Noah Schnapp has been under fire since he began expressing his opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Consequently, some Stranger Things fans want him to be replaced by Jaeden Martell in the upcoming season 5.
Schnapp sparked controversy when he made a statement supporting Israel and later liked a video that mocked Muslims and the LGBTQ community. The backlash intensified after he appeared in a video promoting stickers with controversial phrases like "Zionism is Sexy" and "Hamas is ISIS," leading to widespread criticism. Some users even leaked Noah Schnapp's phone number, address and other personal details.
Following these incidents, fans worldwide have voiced numerous calls for Schnapp's replacement in the final season. A significant portion of the fanbase is advocating for Jaeden Martell to take on the role of Will Byers in season 5.
This has led to a huge anger among fans who want similar consequences for Noah Schnapp. One such user wrote on Twitter, "noah schnapp gets to plaster LA with “zionism is sexy” stickers and there are absolutely zero consequences for his career. melissa barrera posts in support of palestine and gets dropped from a franchise which she has been a lead in two films. absolutely wild to watch"
Jaeden Martell has earlier worked with Finn Wolfhard in IT and both share a close friendship. Since the character Will Byers is romantically interested in Mike Wheeler, it is no surprise that fans want Jaeden to be recast in Stranger Things as they already share a bond. Jaeden also attended the season 4 premiere last year.
However, the likelihood of such repercussions seems slim as Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy shared Noah Schnapp's statement on Instagram. Also, Will Byers is the main focus of the final season and introducing casting changes at this crucial juncture could potentially disrupt the narrative and the overall viewing experience.
Nevertheless, Netflix will be under a lot of pressure to address the ongoing controversy as fans are calling for a boycott of Stranger Things. They are currently gearing up for the filming of the final season of Stranger Things as the production has already commenced.
Do you think Jaeden Martell should be cast as Will Byers in the final season? Put down your thoughts in the comments below.
No. What fans are they talking about? Some fans. So what. Some fans think the whole flap is ridiculous. I am one of them.
Will the wise shall return. To those threatening to boycott, no one cares.