Wolf Pack, an original series for Paramount+, has finally been confirmed not to be a Teen Wolf spinoff – and that’s a good thing. Wolf Pack is the latest creative venture from Teen Wolf series creator Jeff Davis. Though it was originally thought to be a continuation of Teen Wolf’s mythology, Davis has since cleared up any remaining confusion about Wolf Pack’s status as a Teen Wolf spinoff after commenting on an Instagram post featuring the first official image for the show with “#itsnotaspinoff.” It wasn’t all that far-fetched to believe that Wolf Pack might be a Teen Wolf spinoff, considering it shares the same creator, similar paranormal creatures, and star Sarah Michelle Gellar joined Teen Wolf stars Tyler Posey and Tyler Hoechlin on the San Diego Comic-Con stage this year. As a completely separate concept, however, Wolf Pack can cultivate its own legacy, without lingering in Teen Wolf’s popular shadow.

Being directly linked to the Teen Wolf franchise could have admittedly helped Wolf Pack gain an audience straight off the bat. The Teen Wolf revival movie is a highly anticipated release, and the hype from that project could have launched Wolf Pack in a big way. It’s hard to deny that transmedia franchises and spinoffs are having a massive impact on popular culture. There is, however, something to be said for shows that create their own legacy, and find an audience through their storytelling and characters without relying on the nostalgia for something that came before. Wolf Pack now has the room to create its own cultural footprint.

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It will also be interesting to see how Wolf Pack tackles the myth of werewolves and establishes its own lore. As Teen Wolf developed across six seasons, it was heavily inspired by various cultural supernatural myths. Since both Wolf Pack and Teen Wolf share the same creator, audiences could expect similar influences. It should be noted, though, that while the Teen Wolf show was a loose adaptation of the 1985 movie Teen Wolf, Wolf Pack is based on a series of books written by speculative fiction author Edo van Belkom. As a result, Wolf Pack will also have the chance to separate itself from Teen Wolf with a different approach to the supernatural world, just as other teenage paranormal drama shows that have come before, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This potential to establish itself as a separate story can ultimately help Wolf Pack develop into a much stronger show. All in all, Wolf Pack has everything it needs to become another hit series without being a Teen Wolf spinoff, including a great cast, a strong premise, and a creator who clearly has a passion for paranormal storytelling.

What We Know About Wolf Pack

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Wolf Pack

Paramount+ previously announced that the cast of Wolf Pack includes Armani Jackson of Ready Player One fame, as well as Bella Shepard, who has acted in projects such as the iCarly revival and The Wilds. Jackson and Shepard will take on the roles of Everett and Blake, respectively. They will be joined by newcomers Chloe Rose Robertson, who will play Luna, and Tyler Lawrence Gray, who will take on the role of Harlan. A most welcome addition to the Wolf Pack cast is Buffy icon Sarah Michelle Gellar, who will also be an executive producer on the show. Gellar will step into the role of Kristin Ramsey, an arson investigator. This role will prove to be pivotal in the series, as the inciting incident of the first Wolf Pack novel involves a forest fire that awakens a terrifying supernatural creature, leading four teenagers to find one another as the mysterious monster wreaks havoc on their town. Returning performer Sarah Michelle Gellar has confirmed that Wolf Pack will debut on Paramount+ in January 2023.

Now it’s clear that Wolf Pack won’t be a spinoff of Teen Wolf, only time will tell how the show’s supernatural premise will develop. Following Jeff Davis’ work on Teen Wolf, he certainly looks to be the right creator and writer for this particular adaptation. For now, Wolf Pack seems to have everything it needs to succeed within the ever-popular paranormal teenage drama genre.