Ben Platt isn’t the first actor to play a high-schooler when he is decidedly not one. Think Grease. 90210. Glee. Riverdale. But that’s not stopping Twitter from having a field day with his appearance in the Dear Evan Hansen trailer that dropped Tuesday.

Platt is reprising his role in the Tony-award winning Broadway musical for the film, by playing title character Evan Hansen, a socially anxious teenage boy who’s thrust into the spotlight after a lie he tells about the tragic death of a classmate spirals beyond his control.

As excited as fans are for Platt, who originated the role back in 2016, it’s hard not to notice that, well, that was five years ago. Even if he was a freshman back then, he would have graduated by now and be in his second year of college. And the visuals certainly aren’t helping.

To be fair, Platt is pretty much universally acknowledged to be amazing in the role. This interview with Vanity Fair published Tuesday has Platt and director Stephen Chbosky discussing the decision to cast him in the role, which began production in September last year during the pandemic.

“His understanding of the character is so complete and so profound,” said Chbosky. “I couldn’t imagine anybody else playing it. It’s his part. I felt very strongly about it. And to me it was never even a consideration.”

Platt admitted he had to make certain adjustments to his physique and appearance to try to turn back the clock a little. “[Before filming] I’d lost about 15 pounds and did a very specific diet, grew my hair out, and was shaving to make sure that I didn’t look like I had five o’clock shadow all the time, you know,” revealed Platt. “I was just stripping myself into being a teenager for the last time. For what is hopefully the last time.”

There’s an extensive list of shows ostensibly about teens, like Gossip Girl, The OC, 13 Reasons Why, Sex Education, Pretty Little Liars, and many others that want to skip the awkward, acne-ridden pubescent years, casting actors in their twenties (and beyond!) in leading roles. Riverdale overcame the unreality of having “teen” stars that were actually as old as 28 by doing a time jump in its most recent season that aged them by seven years.

And it’s common in movies too, as in the infamous casting choices of Grease, where Rizzo was played by a 33-year-old Stockard Channing. Wet Hot American Summer even had fun with the concept: the series produced 14 years after the movie was set as a prequel. Sure Paul Rudd is ever-youthful, but come on.

Here are some of the funnier razzing that the Dear Evan Hansen trailer inspired on Twitter.

Goofing on his age aside, the film will surely be a knockout. In addition to Platt, it stars Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg and many more. It’s scheduled to be released in theaters on September 24th of this year – a day that just happens to be Platt’s 28th birthday. Hope the excitement isn’t too much for you, old guy.