In Season 1 of Stranger Things, Will Byers was the little boy lost. While everyone was talking about him and searching for him, the audience only caught glimpses of Will through memories and brief visits to the Upside Down. In an interview with Gold Derby, series producer Shawn Levy revealed Will is at the center of Stranger Things Season 2. Levy said,
"Will Byers is very much at the center of several intersecting challenges and threats in season 2."
It sounds like the youngest Byers' role is going to go far beyond the lasting repercussions of spending so much time in the Upside Down. Season 1 ended with Will coughing up slug-like creatures into the sink, which could give whatever those things are access to the Hawkins water supply. And I think everyone knows nothing good can come from that.
As much as Will is connected to the supernatural aspects of the Stranger Things world, he's also a young boy being forced to grapple with a major trauma. No matter how hopeful that final scene of Will reunited with his friends and playing Dungeons and Dragons was, the chances of Will being unchanged by his experiences are nil. His role in Season 2 is going to be as an active player, and it sounds like this time he will be all too aware that he's at the center of the action.
While it was clear from the show's cliffhanger ending, Will would be central to Season 2, Levy's words hint at the idea that his role could be even more complex than expected. Given his little slug problem, he may even find himself in a position similar to the one Eleven was in throughout Season 1 — on the run from people who want to contain him.
In addition to Will being the focal point for several stories, Levy also revealed Season 2 is going to be even darker than the first. "I think overall the kind of forces of evil that are inherent in season 2 make that Demogorgon look quaint in retrospect," Levy told Gold Derby.
I suspect he doesn't just mean the monsters are getting bigger either. At the heart of Stranger Things is a conspiracy story that forces otherwise good people, like Hopper, to make terrible decisions. Self-preservation and the desire to protect your family are two powerful motivators, and both of these things could lead Will and the other characters down even darker paths.
After hearing the latest Stranger Things Season 2 hints, all I have to say is: Is it Halloween yet?
