Upside down indeed
Antisemitic Boycott of Stranger Things Season 5 Flops
Stranger Things Season 5 Faces Boycott Backlash Over Star Noah Schnapp's Pro-Israel Stance Amid Record-Breaking Premiere
Netflix's highly anticipated final season of Stranger Things has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with calls for a boycott gaining traction online due to actor Noah Schnapp's vocal support for Israel and Zionism.
Despite the uproar, Season 5 shattered records upon its late November 2025 debut, amassing 59.6 million views in just five days and becoming the streamer's biggest English-language series launch ever.
The boycott movement, which resurfaced prominently around the premiere, targets Schnapp, the 21-year-old Jewish actor who portrays Will Byers. Critics point to a November 2023 video where Schnapp and friends were seen with stickers proclaiming "Zionism is Sexy" and "Hamas is ISIS," statements made in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
Pro-Palestinian activists have labeled his views as supporting "genocide" and urging fans to skip the season to "send a message to Netflix." Fellow cast member Brett Gelman, who plays Murray Bauman, has also drawn ire for his pro-Israel appearances, including on Israeli comedy shows, amplifying the calls to boycott.
Schnapp, of Russian and Moroccan Jewish descent, who reportedly celebrated his bar mitzvah in Israel, issued a clarification in January 2024, claiming his comments were "misconstrued" and affirming his hope for peace and compassion on both sides of the conflict. However, this did little to stem the tide of criticism, with social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) buzzing with hashtags and posts encouraging viewers to abstain.
Detractors of the boycott, including Jewish advocacy organizations and fans, have decried it as antisemitic, drawing parallels to historical boycotts against Jews and arguing it unfairly penalizes the entire cast and crew for one actor's political opinions.
Despite the vocal online campaign, the boycott's real-world impact appears minimal. Fans have largely dismissed the calls, with many defending Schnapp and emphasizing the show's ensemble nature. "I'm not boycotting Stranger Things because of Noah Schnapp's views," one X user posted, while others accused boycott advocates of "fake activism" or hypocrisy.
Netflix has not publicly addressed the controversy, and viewership metrics suggest the series' popularity remains undimmed, continuing its legacy as a cultural phenomenon since its 2016 debut.