The Teen Wolf movie will have a hard time dealing with Stiles' absence. In November 2021, it was announced that Teen Wolf would be returning for a revival movie on Paramount+. Naturally, speculation grew as to which cast members would return. Although plenty of familiar names (and some welcome surprises) were listed to appear, such as Crystal Reed as Alison Argent, the return of Dylan O'Brien's fan-favorite character Stiles Stilinski was not announced. Perhaps this shouldn't have been entirely surprising, as O'Brien has been busy with other projects, which even affected his screen time in Teen Wolf season 6. Nevertheless, his absence will certainly be felt, especially considering he was one of the most important members of Scott's (Tyler Posey) pack.
Despite Dylan O'Brien's absence as Stiles, plenty of other cast members are listed to return for the Teen Wolf movie. Alongside Tyler Posey and Crystal Reed, Holland Roden will be reprising her role as Lydia Martin, Tyler Hoechlin will be back as Derek Hale, Shelley Hennig will return as Malia Tate, Colton Haynes will be back as Jackson Whittemore, and Dylan Sprayberry will come back as Scott's young protégé Liam Dunbar. Plenty of other familiar faces will be coming back as well. O'Brien isn't the only regular cast member not currently known to return for the movie, however. Daniel Sharman's Isaac Lahey hasn't been confirmed to return, and Arden Cho's Teen Wolf character Kira Yukimura will not be returning either, following a pay disparity dispute.
Dylan O'Brien's absence will be the most notably felt, however. From the first episode of Teen Wolf, Stiles was by Scott's side as they figured out the supernatural world together as a team. Though they were each other's best friends, they considered themselves to be more like brothers. Stiles’ relationship with Lydia Martin was also one of the core dynamics of Teen Wolf, which finally came to a head in Teen Wolf's final season. Despite being one of the few humans in Scott's pack, Stiles was an invaluable asset, always protective of his friends and family, using his intelligence and investigative skills to help strategize against their enemies. The Teen Wolf movie will certainly struggle to escape his shadow, as he left a lasting impact both on the audience and the characters of Teen Wolf. It will be nearly impossible for the Teen Wolf movie to ignore his existence.
Can The Teen Wolf Movie Work Without Stiles?
Thankfully, Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis explained in an interview at this year's San Diego Comic-Con that the revival movie won't ignore Stiles' existence, but rather reference it. This should be easy enough to do. By the end of Teen Wolf season 6, Stiles is working as an intern for the FBI. Considering the time jump that was also confirmed by Davis, (Scott McCall will be over thirty years old) Stiles will likely still be working at the FBI, now as a full-blown agent. He can easily help the pack deal with whatever threat they may be facing in the background, utilizing FBI resources to help with research. Davis also noted that Lydia's storyline in the movie will be about her relationship with Stiles, which is only fitting, given they finally got together in Teen Wolf's final season.
What remains to be seen is if these allusions to Stiles' character will be enough. A Teen Wolf revival cannot happen without at least the mention of Stiles. The fact that his beloved Jeep appears in the Teen Wolf movie trailer suggests that the team behind the revival is well-aware. These references, however, will only draw attention to the fact that Stiles is absent in Teen Wolf, that someone so important to not only Scott but to everyone in his pack is missing from the battle against one of the greatest threats Beacon Hills has ever known. A phone call here, a joking callback to one of Stiles’ comical shenanigans there, and the hole left behind by his character will only become more prominent. Teen Wolf has many beloved characters, but Stiles' absence in this battle will feel out of line from what we know of his character - someone who is always willing to defend and help his friends, no matter the cost.
