'Stranger Things' Season 4 cast to play Dungeons & Dragons, but fans note Will Byers is 'still waiting to play'
'Stranger Things 4' might still be in the midst of a production that's been complicated by the pandemic, but that doesn't mean that the cast can't get together virtually and have a good time. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) wanted only one thing from Season 3 — to have everyone get together and play Dungeons & Dragons — but sadly, the whole thing will be happening without him there, as Netflix announces a new special that includes David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer and Finn Wolfhard.
Harbour teased this event earlier on his Instagram on December 6, showing the cast getting together to play Dungeons & Dragons with a red background that looked a lot more official than a regular home game with friends. "'Tis the season for both young and old dorks to meet in a tavern and attempt to slay mighty technical glitches," he captioned the picture. Now, Netflix has revealed that the post was, in fact, for an official Netflix project, and that a Dungeons & Dragons special will release on December 18.
Stranger Things are afoot in the far north. #StrangerThingsDnD pic.twitter.com/PTqZ1hzPQp
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) December 14, 2020
'Stranger Things' has doubled down on its D&D influences recently, releasing a special D&D starter set specifically made for 'Stranger Things' fans. It's also currently in the middle of a limited series comic book run that features the show's characters' relationship to the roleplaying game that we never got to see on television — a comic that comes complete with themed blank character sheets for fans and filled out character sheets for the boys' characters in the game.
There are no details as to where the special will be airing or how to livestream it, but the biggest question that fans have right now is where Will Byers is, given the one thing he asked of everyone in Season 3 was for them to get together to play some D&D. "Where's will the wise?" asked one fan, immediately. "All Will wanted to do was play D&D, and they played with a middle-aged sheriff instead of him. Poor Will," commented another. "The irony of who is missing from that screen is not lost on us," wrote a third.
All Will wanted to do was play D&D, and they played with a middle-aged sheriff instead of him. Poor Will.
— Arthritis Martian - Election Thief (@ArthurRM2) December 14, 2020
the irony of who is missing from that screen is not lost on us.
— BC Jesse (@Ghost_Hack) December 14, 2020
NX, the Netflix-based social media account that serves as "Netflix's home of all things geek", quickly realized their mistake...though it's too late to change it now, even as they reply to a fan who wrote "Will is still waiting for someone to play with him." with "....I KNEW WE FORGOT SOMEONE".
The D&D special will air on December 18, though details of where it will air are pending. In the meanwhile, production on 'Stranger Things 4' continues and is expected to release some time in 2021.