Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Teen Wolf: The Movie.Stiles Stilinski's absence in Teen Wolf: The Movie is evident throughout the film and cannot work. Teen Wolf: The Movie sees many characters coming back to Beacon Hills after more than 10 years away from the Californian town, including some characters who had been absent in the last Teen Wolf seasons, like Jackson Whittemore and, most notably, Allison Argent. However, among the few characters that did not come back for the movie, one inevitably stands out the most. As one of the protagonists of the original series, Stiles' absence leaves a void that Teen Wolf: The Movie does not seem to be able to fill.
Since the beginning of the show, it is clear that, while Teen Wolf may be focused on Scott McCall, both Stiles and Scott are the series' protagonists. Although Teen Wolf: The Movie provides an explanation for Stiles' absence, it is not satisfying. Stiles not coming back to Beacon Hills when his loved ones are in danger is something that was going to be very difficult to explain in Teen Wolf: The Movie, as Stiles had been at the forefront of many fights and battles against supernatural creatures throughout Teen Wolf.
Dylan O'Brien's Stiles Was The Heart Of Teen Wolf
Stiles has always been one of the main characters in Teen Wolf, quickly becoming the heart and soul of the whole show. As the only human character who was constantly and heavily involved in the Teen Wolf adventures against supernatural creatures and the only human to be part of Scott's pack, Stiles also served as an entry point for the audience to the world of Teen Wolf. This makes Stiles perhaps one of the most relatable characters and explains why, despite Allison's return to the franchise, his absence is so significant in Teen Wolf: The Movie, and was never going to work.
Stiles' witty remark and sarcastic comments partially made Teen Wolf what it used to be. Without Stiles and everything this character stands for, such as the values of friendship and loyalty he upholds throughout the seasons, Teen Wolf: The Movie is missing one key element in its narrative. Stiles had become such a beloved and essential character during Teen Wolf that Stiles soon became the epitome of Teen Wolf itself. In short, it is safe to say that there is no Teen Wolf without Stiles.
Teen Wolf Season 6 Proved How Much The Movie Needed Stiles
The sixth and final season of Teen Wolf proved that Stiles is necessary for the show, as much as Teen Wolf: The Movie also needed Stiles' presence. While Teen Wolf season 6 is focused on Scott and the rest of the pack as they enter their senior year in high school, Stiles has a marginal role compared to how central he used to be in the previous Teen Wolf seasons. Both plot lines in the last Teen Wolf season barely feature Stiles, for one reason or another, with Dylan O'Brien only appearing for a few scenes in the entire season.
Season 6 was admittedly not Teen Wolf's best season. However, the last season still received positive reviews and favorable scores overall. One criticism that seemed to be constant among the Teen Wolf audience was that of Stiles' absence, which disappointed many viewers who grew attached to the character and what it brought to the show. Just like in the last season, Dylan O'Brien not returning as Stiles completely alters the existing dynamics and relationships in the show and narratively affects the plot as Stiles ceases being a key player in helping the pack in Teen Wolf: The Movie.
Teen Wolf: The Movie Would Never Have A Satisfying Explanation For Stiles' Absence
Dylan O'Brien's Stiles is such a fan favorite, and his character is so key to the Teen Wolf story that his absence was never going to be easy to explain. This is a problem that the Teen Wolf creators had had to deal with previously in season 6 when Stiles' absence was explained by him being taken by the Ghost Riders. In the second part of season 6, however, after Stiles is rescued, his absence is justified as he starts interning for the FBI, which is once again the explanation used in Teen Wolf: The Movie.
However, this is hard to believe, as Stiles has always been ready to defend Beacon Hills. While an off-screen death in Teen Wolf: The Movie could have explained Stiles' not joining the pack in a new adventure, the truth is that there would never be a satisfying explanation to justify Stiles' absence. Moreover, the entire plot of Teen Wolf: The Movie, revolving around the Nogistune as a villain and the use of mountain ash, is heavily connected with Stiles in the Teen Wolf canon, reminding its audience of his absence one more time.