For the first three seasons of the show, it seemed like Will Byers was a somewhat overlooked character. He was often the one at the center of the danger and was therefore not given much to do as a character other than being a victim. However, with a new direction in season 4, Noah Schnapp, proved he was one of the show’s best actors with that scene.
For the first three seasons of the show, it seemed like Mike Wheeler was nowhere near the scene of the danger, always just being Eleven’s boyfriend. In season 4 Mike confesses his love to Eleven (thanks to Will’s love confession), Finn Wolfhard did the best he could do with that scene.