"Stranger Things" Stars Finn Wolfhard And Gaten Matarazzo Were Seen Holding Hands In New York, And The Photo Will Make You Do A Double-Take

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Strangers Things stars Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard were spotted in the wild, and the reactions were priceless.

Gaten Matarazzo at a red carpet event, wearing a patterned, red two-piece suit paired with a white shirt
Gaten Matarazzo at a red carpet event, wearing a patterned, red two-piece suit paired with a white shirt
Finn Wolfhard wearing a striped suit and black shirt, smiling at the camera on the red carpet at an event backdrop with text
Finn Wolfhard wearing a striped suit and black shirt, smiling at the camera on the red carpet at an event backdrop with text

Leon Bennett / Getty Images, Marc Piasecki / Getty Images

After years of speculation and waiting, season 5 of Stranger Things is finally coming.

On July 15, Netflix released a first look at the much-awaited fifth and final season, and I'm seated.

A group of 20 individuals, including Finn Wolfhard and Natalia Dyer, pose casually on furniture and the floor in a room with a large illuminated "5" sign
Courtesy of Netflix

When I think about what I admire most about the hit Netflix series, one thing comes to mind— the friendships.

Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things looking surprised while peering down at something
Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things looking surprised while peering down at something
Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, and Caleb McLaughlin in suits pose together at an event in front of a crowd
Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, and Caleb McLaughlin in suits pose together at an event in front of a crowd

Courtesy of Netflix, Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic

On and off the screen, the cast of Stranger Things has shown how close they are, and Finn and Gaten are great examples of this timeless bond.

Finn Wolfhard in a hoodie and Gaten Matarazzo in a graphic t-shirt and name tag smiling and talking indoors
Kyle Rivas / Getty Images

Gaten has played Dustin Henderson on the series since he was 13. Here's Gaten in 2016:

Gaten Matarazzo at a formal event in a black tuxedo with a plaid bow tie, smiling at the camera
David Livingston / Getty Images

Here's Gaten now:

Gaten Matarazzo at the 2021 NHL Awards, wearing a button-up shirt under a jacket with an abstract face design on the front
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

And here's Gaten side-by-side:

Gaten Matarazzo is on a red carpet wearing a tuxedo with a plaid bow tie and a white shirt
Gaten Matarazzo is on a red carpet wearing a tuxedo with a plaid bow tie and a white shirt
Gaten Matarazzo smiles on the red carpet wearing a collared shirt and a colorful jacket
Gaten Matarazzo smiles on the red carpet wearing a collared shirt and a colorful jacket

David Livingston / Getty Images, Bryan Bedder

Finn portrayed Mike Wheeler on the series since he was 13. Here's Finn in 2016:

Finn Wolfhard smiles while wearing a suit jacket over an unbuttoned dress shirt at a promotional event
Bryan Bedder

Here's Finn now:

Finn Wolfhard posing in a grey buttoned-up shirt at a celebrity event
Mike Marsland / Mike Marsland / WireImage

And here's Finn side-by-side:

Finn Wolfhard at a red carpet event, wearing a button-up shirt and blazer
Finn Wolfhard at a red carpet event, wearing a button-up shirt and blazer
Finn Wolfhard smiles at a media event, wearing a button-up, grey sweater
Finn Wolfhard smiles at a media event, wearing a button-up, grey sweater

Bryan Bedder, Mike Marsland / Mike Marsland / WireImage

Now they're both 21 years old, and I'm left wondering where all the time went.

Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard sitting together on stage at MegaCon, talking and holding microphones, both casually dressed
Gerardo Mora / Getty Images

On Wednesday, the Stranger Things stars were spotted walking hand-in-hand around New York City alongside May December actor Elizabeth Yu, and the photo was equally hilarious and downright sentimental.

Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo hold hands; Finn wears a casual outfit with a baseball cap, and Gaten wears a casual outfit with a cap and holds a drink high
Ulices Ramales / BACKGRID

Of course, it went viral, and the reactions were priceless:

Many people couldn't get over the fact of how adorable their friendship looks in real life.

Twitter: @lucyqrow

Twitter: @deltamagnet

Twitter: @QteeFoxx

Some people joked that they were holding hands like they do with their homies after a wild night of shenanigans.

Tweet by Uncle Luke on the grill (@theluke): "Me holding my drunk homie's hand cus he cross faded pointing to some bullshit at 3am in West Hollywood."
Tweet by Jinx @JinxButcher: "When me and bro go to pick up rolling papers and gatorade."

One user reminded us of another pair of adventurous bosom buddies with a similar bond to the actors and their characters in Stranger Things.

New Line Cinema / Twitter: @ClownPeasant

Another user pointed out how Gaten and Finn are "the two most unproblematic cast members" in the series.

Twitter: @Schl0tterbeck

And for all the people who made tasteless speculation about their sexuality just because they were holding hands, fans definitely came to their defense.

Breeje_i's tweet discusses annoyance at comments, saying men should be allowed to show affection to friends without enforcing toxic norms

But, if you were wondering where you might've seen that adorable celebrity friendship pose before, I ask you — are you a fan of Arrested Development?

Will Arnett and Jason Bateman lying on grass in tuxedos, looking up with surprised expressions. Background includes trees and bushes
Will Arnett and Jason Bateman lying on grass in tuxedos, looking up with surprised expressions. Background includes trees and bushes
Two men, one in a yellow shirt with a blue apron and the other in an apron over a floral shirt, share an embrace outside a tropical-themed restaurant
Two men, one in a yellow shirt with a blue apron and the other in an apron over a floral shirt, share an embrace outside a tropical-themed restaurant

20thcentfox / ??20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection, 20thcentfox / 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection

Gaten and Finn are actually referencing a paparazzi photo of Arrested Development costars, and Smartless podcast hosts Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. See the picture here.

Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo, dressed casually, hold hands while walking outside. Gaten raises a drink cup and points upward
Ulices Ramales / BACKGRID

I'm super excited for Season 5 of Stranger Things, but based on what Gaten and Finn look like now, I have no idea what they'll do about the age gap since Season 4 was released in 2022 when most of the cast was still teenagers.

Finn Wolfhard, Charlie Heaton, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, David Harbour, Natalia Dyer, and Maya Hawke look upward in a forest scene from "Stranger Things."
Courtesy of Netflix

Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.

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