I remembered watching an interview with Joel Stoffer last year where he was talking about his motivations for the character, because the Duffers gave him nothing. I found an excerpt on the Stranger Things wiki:
When discussing the character of Wayne in an interview, Stoffer stated; “This guy [Wayne Munson] is someone who cares about his nephew, that’s it. He’s concerned about his nephew, you know, his nephew’s been wrongly accused of something and there’s no proof about it, I just know my nephew. And I know he didn’t do it. Whether or not he was a trailer park guy, who might’ve been an angry, bitter, guy… which I think there is a little bit of angry bitter in Wayne, but still, you know, the concern about his nephew overrides any of that stuff … but he’s [Wayne] also somebody who I think has some anger, you know because of whatever trauma he might’ve had in his life … I probably saw a lot of crap that Eddie had to deal with growing up maybe with whatever parents he had. Probably some abuse, trauma. I saw that, and I made it a mission as his uncle, to protect him.”
The guy was on screen for less than 10 mins over 9 episodes and he gave us all of that. One of my favourite ST characters. I just need a Funko Pop and I’ll be golden.
Whatever you do, don't think about Wayne becoming a part of Dustin's life after Eddie dies. Wayne likes to collect hats, so now whenever he sees a hat, he thinks about Dustin. Don't think about how he now buys hats for Dustin to wear and how Dustin will replace his hat each time, so now, every time someone sees Dustin, he has a new hat on his head.
Whatever you do, don't think about Eddie somehow coming back from the Upside Down, and Dustin excitedly brought him to his house for some reason. Don't think about them bursting through the door.
"Mom! Dad!" Dustin would call out, and Eddie was confused because he thought Dustin's dad had walked out a long time ago.
Claudia and Wayne would come rushing into the living room like the house was on fire. Whatever you do, don't think about Eddie coming back a year later, only to find out that Wayne had married Dustin's mom, and Eddie was now Dustin's cousin.
"What the fuck?"
Whatever you do, don't think about Eddie freaking out because for him, no time had passed at all, and whatever you do don't think about Eddie running away to Steve’s house because he thinks he is having a weird dream. The next thing that happens doesn't really help when Steve, who's so relieved to see him, kisses him.
Eddie always loved Halloween and Wayne always took him around to all the neighborhoods from the first year he took him in.
Eddie always wanted to be something scary or spooky for Halloween and Wayne always did his best to help him with his costume.
Every September the plans were made for that coming Halloween. Every September there would be an Eddie-made drawing of the costume and preparations would begin.
Wayne would go with him every year and watch his boy enjoy the holiday, Eddie leaping out at the other children, hearing Eddie’s laughter at their squeals.
Wayne watched with a small smile on his face.
Wayne loves Motown and blues music. Yeah, he listens to country. But his real love was Sittin’ at the Dock of the Bay with Otis or letting Love Lift Him Higher with Jackie, or better yet: getting taken to church and taught the meaning of R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Aretha.
He has an entire box of 45s.
Every weekend he’d play his old 45s and fix the trailer or clean the place up or give his truck an oil change as Eddie helped.
It reminded Wayne of his youth and he loved every artist that was out there in whatever medium he could find them in: recordings, live performances, televised concerts, movies.
By fourteen, Eddie knew all the songs - every word - every melody.
By fourteen, there were artists he didn’t mind so much like Sam and Dave or Aretha but he would never admit it.
By fourteen, Eddie also had his own taste in music and it did NOT reflect his uncle’s. But he tolerated the old man’s music because he loved his uncle, but he wouldn’t be caught dead listening to it on his own or in front of his friends.
By fourteen, there was no drawing in September.
Wayne didn’t say anything.
But he noticed.
And it kind of hurt.
The morning of Eddie’s fourteenth Halloween, Eddie left the trailer early on his bike and wasn’t back until almost sundown.
Wayne thought he had gone off with his friends all day or maybe had a morning lawn mowing job, but Eddie had come home with bags from the goodwill and disappeared into his room.
Wayne watched all of this silently, while trying to distract himself with the Western on TV.
Eddie emerged dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and an undone black tie around his neck.
Wayne grew concerned that there was a funeral he was supposed to attend until Eddie held up another suit on a hanger and threw a fedora at him.
“The costume doesn’t work if there’s only one Blues Brother, Uncle Wayne. Now help me tie this tie, will ya? All the good candy’s gonna be gone if we don’t hurry.”
don’t think about wayne munson, sitting on his own combing through a pile of photos. he’s trying to find the right picture to use for the missing posters. because in most pictures, eddie is either laughing or unable to pose seriously. he also liked to use his hellfire pose a lot. wayne didn’t want to pick the “wrong” picture because the public is already angry enough. he wanted to pick something that would endear the people of hawkins to eddie; to remind them that eddie was just a kid too. but he has to use the same photo the police used, and they don’t even know the story behind the picture. it was taken the previous summer, after the events of starcourt. the community was rallying around and helping out, and eddie, for once, wanted to participate. he hated what the mall represented but people were reeling and devastated; so he wanted to help. wayne and eddie helped mainly by shifting debris and the like, and eddie made sure the firefighters were keeping hydrated. he knew people were throwing distasteful glances his way but he didn’t give a fuck and carried on with his community service.
wayne was so proud of his boy in that moment that he asked a nearby reporter with a camera to take a candid picture, and to send him a copy. the reporter happily obliged (maybe it was jonathan) and eddie noticed that he’d been snapped. “aw come on, old man,” he groused. but he was smiling and carried on.