Finn Wolfhard’s appearance as host on Saturday Night Live turned into a nostalgic moment for Stranger Things fans, with two of his co-stars joining him on stage — but the absence of Noah Schnapp did not go unnoticed.

During the January 17 episode’s opening monologue, Wolfhard was surprised by fellow cast members Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo, who walked on stage to celebrate their shared journey from child actors to young adults. The moment drew cheers from the audience and quickly went viral online.

Fans, however, were curious about why Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers in the Netflix series, was missing from the reunion. According to PEOPLE, Schnapp was not in the United States at the time, as he was in Italy attending Milan Fashion Week.

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Just a day before the SNL episode aired, Schnapp was spotted at the Ralph Lauren Men’s Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show in Milan, explaining his absence from the live broadcast.

Despite Schnapp’s non-appearance, Wolfhard still received strong support from the Stranger Things cast. Several actors, including Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery, were seen attending the SNL afterparty to celebrate the milestone with him.

In his monologue, Wolfhard reflected on growing up in the public eye, joking about leaving behind his child-star image. “So… meet the new me. The man met me. Because I’m not a kid anymore,” he said, moments before McLaughlin and Matarazzo joined him, adding humorously, “We’re not child stars—we’re former child stars.”

The Stranger Things era has officially come to an end, with the fifth and final season released in three parts—Volume 1 on November 26, Volume 2 on December 25, and the finale on December 31. The final episode, which runs over two hours, marks the longest and concluding chapter of the series.

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