(CREDIT TO BYLER2025) Mike is wearing Will's shoes in season 5 which is clear from the new BTS pictures. Simply put, Mike is placing himself in Will's position both practically and symbolically. metaphorically, as Mike in S5 will go through what Will did in S4. They will play different parts and SWAP ROLES. Knowing that we'll eventually get to witness Mike's point of view, we may expect to see him longing for Will, much like Will did in season 4. They're going to trade places on screen, and now that Mike is free of his problems with El, he'll be able to address his (perhaps) new problem of believing that Will will never love him back.

Will is now confirmed to have a love interest in the season 5. It doesn't say new, and it wouldn't make any sense to introduce a new character to be Will's love interest this far into the show. Especially since we have seen Will pining for Mike the entire show as well. This can only mean that Will's love interest will be Mike.

Noah and Finn have spent a lot of time filming together this season. Although this isn't necessarily proof,  it is still significant as so far Mike and Will have been together a larger amount of times than Mike and El this season.

Noah Schnapp told Forbes, “The way they closed the show is just perfect.”  He also said that something will finally go right for Will this season. His entire arc has been based around love as it has been what has saved him every time he has encountered danger. In season 1, Joyce's love for Will helped her feel determined enough to find him. In season 2, Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike's moments in the shed where they recount memories allows Will to use morse code to tell everyone to close the gate. Without a doubt, love is going to be the key to saving Will in the end and help him beat Vecna once and for all with El. Whose love? Obviously, it's going to be Mike's. 

During the teaser and date announcement, we have seen absolutely no scenes of Will happy and he is even being targeted by Vecna as seen in the image on the right. Things don't look like they're going right for him, which means they are clearly hiding stuff from us. Noah also said there will be a lot of plot twists (byler).

In season 2, Steve and Nancy break up where Steve puts a hand on Nancy's face and she is drunk. Personally, I don't think this Mileven scene is a break up, but Mike encouraging El and worrying about her. A lot of people have gotten Byler doubt from this one scene which is honestly hilarious to me. Did people really think there wouldn't be any Mike and El scenes in season 5? Obviously there are, we don't even know what they're talking about in this scene. The Duffers are clearly baiting the general audience by making them think that Mileven is endgame and Will dies, when really, it's the other way around.

We all know that Byler and Lumax have been constantly paralleled throughout the show, and from the teaser, it looks like there is another scene in season 5 too! During season 2, the demodogs infiltrate the lab and Mike is holding onto Will, hiding from them. During season 5, it looks like demodogs have infilitrated the hospital maybe? Lucas is holding onto an unconscious Max who is still in her hospital gown, so I am assuming that she is still in her coma. Will was unconscious too when Mike was holding onto him. 

(CREDIT TO 1987BYLER) This symbolism is so significant. The shot of Mike with El's hand gently on his face. It's warm, comforting, tender, which completely contrasts with the shot of Vecna's cold, sharp hand on Will's face. Instead of warm and gentle, the environment is cold and sterile where he is in deep pain. This symbolises that Mike took the easy way through life by staying closeted, being represented by the calmness a relationship with a woman brings him. This is so different to Will who, by staying true to himself, suffers for being abnormal and unconventional. 

Ross admitted in his Instagram post that every episode was shown in the teaser, every episode EXCEPT 7. This is vital as we all know 7 is a very significant number relating to Byler where Will told the truth to Mike in season 1 where the roll was a 7, setting up their close, heartfelt relationship. This isn't all, however, as in season 4 where Joyce and Hopper kiss for the first time, there is a box in the background. What does that box say? Well, it says: MW705. M: Mike. W: Will. 7: Episode. 05: Season.

You're probably thinking, "Oh, that could just be a coincidence." I'm not so sure. There is a box right behind Will's neck when he is in school which says HENRY. There is an oven behind Mike that says MONTAGUE during his monologue, one of the two prominent families in Romeo and Juliet. El and Mike are 'star-crossed lovers', which means two people whose love is doomed, often by fate or circumstances beyond their control, making their relationship impossible (OR Mike being gay!)

This is not accidental. 

At the end of season 4, we see Mike and Will sharing a heart-to-heart, and during the teaser, Mike and El appear to be doing the same. There is a stark contrast, though, as during Mike and Will's scene, the light is open and casting down onto them. During Mike and El's scene, the windows are closed and it's a little darker.

In this picture, Will and Mike's clothing is very similar to that of Nancy and Jonathan in season 1. You may think this is a coincidence, however costuming is a very important stylistic feature. Stylistic features encompass the techniques and aesthetic choices a filmmaker uses to create the film's meaning, mood, and overall visual and auditory style.  "I really like telling a story through the clothing." Costume designer for Stranger Things, Amy Parris, said.  

Not only this, but from recent leaks we have seen, Holly is expected to go missing in season 5, just like Will did in season 1. Jonathan went investigating with Nancy to find out what happened to his little brother. This could directly parallel season 5 where Will may help Mike discover what happened to his little sister. This can also be seen by the fact that Mike is dressed similar to Jonathan and Will is dressed similar to Nancy.