Mike and Will in ‘Stranger Things’: Should They or Shouldn’t They Get Together in Season 5?
The end is near, Stranger Things fans. While we’re looking forward to finding out whether Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) or the Party comes out on top, another question is weighing even more heavily on our minds: Will Mileven or Byler prevail?
You already know that we’ve started our Stranger Things rewatch — the show has already re-entered Netflix’s Top 10, so it seems we aren’t the only ones — so what better time to reflect on who Mike (Finn Wolfhard) should end up with? For a while, it seemed that El (Millie Bobby Brown) was the only choice, but the fourth season launched a totally new ship, hinting that Will (Noah Schnapp) has feelings for his best friend.
Mike does finally say “I love you” to El by the end of Season 4, but that hasn’t stopped fans from campaigning for Byler to become a thing in Season 5. Naturally, we had to put them through Swooon’s Should They/Shouldn’t They rubric before we finally get an answer to which romance is endgame. See all of Byler’s pros and cons, and tell us if you think they should get together in the poll below!
Stranger Things, Season 5 Volume 1, Premiere, November 26, 2025, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5 Volume 2, Premiere, December 25, 2025, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5 Finale, Premiere, December 31, 2025, Netflix
PRO: Will deserves some happiness for once.
The poor guy hasn’t had an easy go of it. After his abduction in Season 1, Will is plagued by terrifying visions and seizures in Season 2. They’re courtesy of the Mind Flayer (aka Vecna), who possesses Will until the end of the season. Will has things a little easier in Season 3, aside from feeling like his friends are abandoning him for their girlfriends. So yeah, when he’s not being dragged into Vecna’s plans, it’s pretty much nonstop friend group angst for Will. In the latest installment, Will struggles with feeling “different,” though the show doesn’t directly confirm his sexuality.
Taking all of that into consideration, Season 5 had better give the boy some happiness! Will’s the only member of the Party that hasn’t had his own love interest, so without a doubt, he deserves at least a little romance in Season 5. We’ll settle for any love interest at this point, even if it’s not Mike. But Season 4 all but confirmed that Will is crushing on his best friend, so we wouldn’t mind at all if he gets what he wants in Season 5. He deserves it by now!
CON: It might cause some Will and Eleven tension.
Of course, there’s also the Eleven of it all. Will and Eleven weren’t very close until the latter moved to California with the Byers family. There, they develop a sibling bond that’s become one of the most compelling dynamics on the show. Beyond the fact that they’re both connected to the Upside Down, Will and El both feel like outsiders and become each other’s rock.
Still, Will having feelings for his sister’s boyfriend is bound to complicate things. Will already got jealous watching El and Mike at the roller rink in Season 4. El, on the other hand, has no idea that Will has feelings for Mike. Would their sibling bond become strained if Will’s feelings do come to light? If the show did pursue a Mike and Will romance, how would Eleven feel? Maybe El would simply rise above the drama and be happy for Will… or maybe she’s going to die and it won’t matter. As much as we hope she makes it out alive, that’s one way to solve the problem.
PRO: Mike and El haven't been gelling lately.
Eventual love confession aside, Mike and Eleven were not in a good spot for most of Season 4. When they go long distance, Mike can’t manage to say “I love you” in his letters, which understandably irks El. The words come later, but why did it take his girlfriend almost dying for Mike to say it? Plus, it takes Will’s encouragement to get him to that point. Sure, Mike’s speech is one of the season’s most romantic moments, but it’s possible Mike was telling El what she needed to hear for her to survive. Or, maybe he’s avoid saying how he feels simply out of fear of losing her. Either way, Season 5 will have to do a decent amount of work to restore Mileven to full strength.
PRO: Mike and Will get each other.
Mike and Will have had their disagreements and misunderstandings over the seasons, but they do open up to each other in a way that they rarely do with anyone else. We see the most evidence of it in Season 2. At one point, Mike tells Will that becoming his friend is the best thing he’s ever done, and earlier in the season, the first person Will tells about his visions is Mike. (The latter assures his friend that they would “go crazy together.”)
Mike isn’t the nicest to his friend over the course of the next two seasons, but it doesn’t stop him and Will from talking it out and making up. It’s not a stretch for us to say that don’t have nearly as many honest heart-to-hearts with either Dustin or Lucas. Could it all be a slow burn, friends-to-lovers buildup? Only time will tell, but if the show does go the Byler route, they’ve laid the groundwork. Hopefully Mike undergoes some character growth and treats Will better before they potentially get together, though.
CON: Mileven is still a strong ship.
Sure, we’ve already pointed out that Mike and Eleven haven’t really been the picture of a perfect relationship lately. But when Mileven is good, they are one of the cutest romances on the show. Mike calls El every day for almost a year, despite thinking that she was missing in the Upside Down. Remember that moment when they reunite at the end of the season? It packs so much emotional punch! And who could forget their cute Snow Ball dance afterward?
Whether they’re meant to be is debatable, but anyone can see that Mike and Eleven have a deep, unshakable bond. Seasons 3 and 4 undermine their connection a little as they go through teenage growing pains, but they always find their way back to each other. Now that they’re more mature, Mileven could make a comeback in Season 5. They could be on their way to being stronger than ever after that Season 4 finale love confession.
CON: One of them might die in Season 5.
Let’s be real: Is there any way that we escape Season 5 without a high death toll? Over the past few seasons, the show has mostly taken out newer characters, but Vecna is bound to kill at least a few main characters in Season 5. That being said, we would hate to see Mike and Will get together, only for one (or both) of them to die a horrible death. That would simply be too cruel. In that case, we’d almost rather they don’t get together at all.
