Stranger Things’ Noah Schnapp Sets First Role After Netflix Show’s Divisive Ending

Published Aug 16, 2026, 9:33 AM EDT Hannah Gearan (she/her) is has been writing for ScreenRant for over three years. Her deep cinema love traces back to age 11, when she equipped herself with a spiral-bound notebook, rated all the films she watched, and declared herself a critic. About a decade later, she received a BA from Wesleyan University, where she studied Film, Environmental Studies, and Writing. Hannah’s short film, Toxic Faucets, has screened at numerous film festivals, including the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston). As a Movie News writer now, she draws upon her vast experience studying, making, and analyzing film as she approaches dynamic breaking stories. Noah Schnapp is saying hello to a new role after Stranger Things said its goodbyes. ' Schnapp is best known for playing Will Byers on Netflix's hit Stranger Things. Schnapp originated the role in the show's kickoff in 2016, when he was just 11 years old. The Netflix show has taken up the vast majority of his acting career, though he has had some other roles in smaller-budget projects such as the movies Hubie Halloween, The Tutor, and Waiting for Anya. As per Variety, Schnapp has set his next role after Stranger Things. Schnapp will take to the stage to play the lead role in the play Affluenza. The play will debut in London at Riverside Studios as part of their 2026/27 season. The play will run September 26 to November 21 this year. Affuenza tackles the story of a teenager who makes a horrible mistake when he drives drunk, ending in disaster. Through the results of this tragedy, the play explores complex moral questions, including whether it is possible to be too rich and privileged to truly know the difference between right and wrong. Affluenza is loosely inspired by true events. Schnapp spoke very highly of his upcoming debut in Affluenza, expressing his sincere excitement about the project. He praised the new play as an "excellent script." He did not want to reveal too much, but hinted at some of the exciting things to come within this script, saying that he gets to "play two very different roles." Check out Schnapp's full quote below: “I am so excited to make my stage debut in London with ‘Affluenza.' I started talking with Andy Sandberg [Mainstage Season artistic director] a few months ago about finding the right opportunity to work together, and it’s thrilling to now be bringing this play to life in London. I wanted to be very intentional about what I took on next, and as I spend more time with this excellent script, I feel so connected to the characters. Without giving away too much, I get to play two very different roles, and it’s a story that’s really going to leave audiences talking and thinking.” Schnapp is not the only Stranger Things star to be taking to the stage following the conclusion of the Netflix mega hit. Schnapp's co-star Gaten Matarazzo is also heading to the West End, in his case to play Mark in London's revival of the beloved musical Rent. Previews of Rent begin on the same day that Affluenza debuts, on September 26. This move to the stage is a more surprising one for Schnapp, however. Unlike the Will Byers actor, Matarazzo got his start on the stage, playing Benji in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert when he was just 9 years old. He also notably played Gavroche in Les Misérables in his pre-Stranger Things years as well. As such, it will be interesting to see how Schnapp makes his own transition from Stranger Things to the stage. Because Will Byers has taken up the majority of his career as of yet, Affluenza will present a key opportunity for Schnapp to make a potential career pivot into more stage roles. Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces.