A Fan Asked Grok to Rewrite Stranger Things’ ‘Will Byers Comes Out’ Scene To Better Reflect 1980s – It’s Really Something
A new fan-made version of the “Will Byers comes out” scene from Stranger Things has gone viral online, and it’s sparking a lot of discussion. Somebody asked Grok to rewrite the scene to reflect the 1980s, and in this version, instead of being met with support, Will faces denial from his friends and family.
In the AI-generated video, Will opens the scene by declaring that he is gay, and his friends react with disgust. His mother tries to tell him that it’s not the right time to come out. Will responds sharply, “Hope you didn’t want grandkids, Mom, because this queen thinks that girl parts are icky.”
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
Later, Mike asks Will if he likes other guys, and Will doesn’t hold back. “I like you, specifically,” he admits.
The video ends with Will being shot by Eleven due to going overboard with his strategy to defeat Vecna, and well with stereotypes.
According to social media discussions, the release of this video has contributed to the backlash against Stranger Things season 5. Currently, it is the only season of the show rated “Rotten” based on audience scores, and some fans are calling for a boycott.
In the original scene from the show, 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, explaining 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 the final season on Will’s s*****. 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 added, “The woke mind virus has infected everything. Come on Netflix, you can do better.”
Even some members of the queer community had mixed reactions. In the show, Will describes a vision from Vecna showing a possible future where his friends respond with care instead of rejection, which made him feel isolated.
While the scene aimed to be empowering, it also reignited debate about “Byler,” the fan theory about a romantic future between Will and Mike. In the show, it is revealed that Mike is the person Will once had feelings for.
Fans took to social media to express frustration with how the scene was handled. “After all these years we get a poorly executed five-minute scene that pulls everything together?” one fan wrote.
Another said, “That coming out scene was a spit in the face of all queer fans.” Some also questioned the fairness of Will’s feelings 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?” one fan commented.
Not all reactions were negative. Some viewers felt the scene was important for Will’s personal growth and suggested that his story might not be fully over. However, many believe that Chapter Seven confirmed the romantic ending for Will while allowing him to embrace his identity.
The controversy over Will Byers’ coming out scene highlights the difficulty of balancing character development and fan expectations in long-running shows. It also shows just how invested fans are in the direction of their favorite series.
What do you think about the scene and the way Will’s story was portrayed? Share your thoughts in the comments.
