Why is Stranger Things season 5 facing boycott calls from netizens? | web series
The creators of Netflix’s sci-fi mystery drama series, Stranger Things, have found themselves in the middle of an online controversy as soon as news of its upcoming installment hit the floors. The supernatural horror series, which premiered back in 2016, is among the most popular titles from the streaming giant’s library. Season 4 of the show, which was released as early as 2022, registered a staggering number of viewers, further increasing the anticipation for its fifth and final season.
Stranger Things season 5 begins
On January 8, 2024, the show’s official Instagram page shared a picture of the cast and confirmed that the fifth season had begun production. Based on the image shared, it is clear that most of the original cast, including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gate Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin and more, will return for the final season. While the news excited the loyal fans of the show, some of them were left disappointed.
Noah Schnapp and Controversy
Shortly after the production update for Stranger Things 5 became public, some fans expressed concern about the inclusion of Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers’ character, in the upcoming series. Netizens were upset over Noah’s controversial remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In November, Noah found himself in the soup after his Instagram Story video went viral. In the said video, Noah was seen laughing with his friends who were holding up stickers that read the phrases “Zionism is sexy” and “Hamas is ISIS” in what appears to be a coffee shop. Outraged netizens began accusing him of indifference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict online, calling him and the creators “Zionists.”
Why are netizens threatening to boycott foreign goods?
Netizens seem to have been irked by the fact that Noah can be seen smiling in a picture released by the makers to mark the start of season 5 production. Fans believe that the makers should have taken strict action against him. Some have expressed dismay that the actor was not fired or replaced. This led to some fans threatening to boycott the show if Noah was not canceled next season.
Although the show has gone on floors, it remains to be seen whether the makers will act on the social media outrage and take into account the concerns of netizens. Meanwhile, all four seasons of Stranger Things are available to stream on Netflix.
