Warning! Spoilers ahead for Teen Wolf: The Movie.
Teen Wolf: The Movie explains Stiles Stilinski's absence, but the explanation for his whereabouts is severely lacking and even disrespectful to the MTV show's history. The McCall Pack returns to Beacon Hills after more than a decade to tackle the re-emergence of the Nogitsune, whose return also coincides with Allison Argent's resurrection. Scott needed all the help he could get considering how delicate the situation was, and while many of his old allies responded to his call, one, in particular, was a no-show: his own best friend, Stiles, after Dylan O'Brien turned down the Teen Wolf movie.
O'Brien's Teen Wolf movie absence was long established, so not seeing Stiles back in Beacon Hills wasn't surprising. It wasn't for the lack of trying to bring back the actor, however. Series creator Jeff Davis revealed that O'Brien was almost in the Teen Wolf movie as they had discussions of him doing at least a cameo. Ultimately, however, the Maze Runner lead star dropped out, explaining that he wasn't comfortable joining a project that felt rushed. This left Paramount+ with the difficult task of explaining why Stiles isn't involved in the McCall Pack's latest mission.
Stilinski Explains Why Stiles Is Missing In Teen Wolf: The Movie
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It was imperative that Stiles' absence be explained in the Teen Wolf movie, although it was expected that it wouldn't be dwelled on so as not to be too distracting. The explanation came from Sheriff Stilinski after Derek Hale suggested that Stilinski's son, being in the FBI, would be helpful in getting to the bottom of Beacon Hills' fires. The older Stilinski turned the idea down, saying that Stiles has his own mysterious fires to put out. After that, the matter was never brought up again in the movie. Even when the rest of the Teen Wolf movie cast returned home, none of them tried contacting Stiles.
The Paramount+ project intentionally keeping details about Stiles' whereabouts vague makes sense as it allows them to use it as an entry point to possibly reincorporate him in future Teen Wolf stories. However, by doing that, it disrespects the character and his relationships. Unless his affairs are more dire than what the McCall Pack is dealing with, it's difficult to imagine Stiles not doing his best to help his friends in their time of need, especially since his own father was in harm's way. At the very least, the Teen Wolf movie should've made a stronger reason for Stiles' absence.
Why Doesn't Scott Or Lydia Contact Stiles In The Teen Wolf Movie?
Sherriff Stilinksi may have decided not to bother his son, but other members of the McCall Pack could have reached out to him, particularly Scott and Lydia. However, considering what happens in the Teen Wolf movie on Paramount+, the Alpha didn't have time to take a breather. From Derek's brush with death in the beginning and his face-off with the newly resurrected but antagonistic Allison, Scott just didn't have any opportunity to reach out to his best friend. Meanwhile, Lydia's decision may be intentional considering her nightmares about Scott dying, hence why she broke up with him as she revealed in Teen Wolf: The Movie.