SPOILERS are ahead for Teen Wolf: The Movie now streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
Before Dylan O’Brien was the lead of The Maze Runner trilogy and the star of Taylor Swift’s critically acclaimed short film for “All Too Well,” the actor memorably got his start on MTV’s Teen Wolf and continually stole the show just about every episode. O’Brien’s character, Stiles Stilinski, was always a big favorite on the MTV series, so when Teen Wolf: The Movie was announced, fans hoped to see the return of his character. Unfortunately, after seeing the movie, I can confirm that Dylan O’Brien is not in the latest Teen Wolf project. Let’s talk about why.
Teen Wolf: The Movie features the return of Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Holland Roden Shelley Hennig, Colton Haynes, Ian Bohen and Dylan Sprayberry, among other original Teen Wolf cast members, but nope, no Dylan O’Brien. Instead, the movie focuses on reviving Allison Argent from the dead and recapturing the romance between Scott and Allison. Here’s what we know.
What Dylan O’Brien Has Said About Not Returning For Teen Wolf: The Movie
Dylan O’Brien has previously spoken of not reprising his role as the lovable teen Stiles, breaking his silence in March 2022 following reports he was not among the cast. Here’s what he told Variety:
It was a difficult decision. A lot went into it. The show couldn't be more dear to me. It was the first thing I ever did and so many people there are extremely dear to me. It was something I was trying to make work but it all happened very fast. We didn't really know that it was happening and they kind of just threw it at us a little bit, which is fine because we all love the show. We were trying to figure it out. Ultimately, I just decided it was left in a really good place for me and I still want to leave it there. I wish them well and I'm going to watch it the first night it comes out. I hope it fucking kicks ass, but I'm not going to be in it.
O’Brien made the “difficult decision” to say no to reuniting with his Teen Wolf cast, sharing that he decided that he was happy with the way the show ended and was content with leaving it alone. In the same month, while doing press for his movie The Outfit, the actor also told The Hollywood Reporter this:
When [the movie] came up, I immediately tried to make it work, but then I just realised that I was going against my gut feeling the whole time. I think I was doing all of those things for other people and not myself. I was like: 'Oh, I actually don't feel like I want to open that door back up, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I should just listen to that instinct and go with it. So that’s ultimately what I decided, and I think I kind of knew it in my heart the whole time. It was already left in a really nice place, you know? So I didn’t want to touch it. I didn’t want to fuck with it.
While O’Brien was initially going to do it to perhaps please the fans and his Teen Wolf family, it sounds like he was simply ready to move on. The actor spent seven years of his career playing Stiles Stilinski, and there’s nothing wrong with deciding not to go to your high school reunion of sorts.
How Teen Wolf: The Movie Addresses Dylan O’Brien’s Absence
Just as the show’s creator Jeff Davis previously teased, Teen Wolf: The Movie does address Stiles in a couple of ways. Early in the movie, Stilinski’s father and Derek Hale are conversing at a crime scene when they speak about calling the FBI or the sheriff’s son, nudging that perhaps Stiles is working for the FBI himself these days.
When it comes to the fate of a beloved coupling on Teen Wolf, Stiles and Lydia, Holland Roden’s character shares in another scene that the pair recently broke up due to recurring visions she was having about the two of them getting into a car accident and Stiles dying. Lydia made the difficult choice to leave him in order to save him from his impending death.
Elsewhere, Stiles’ iconic Jeep is also part of the movie, as Dylan O’Brien previously shared he lent the vehicle to the production for the easter egg. In Teen Wolf: The Movie, the car is passed down to Derek's son, who is now a teen wolf himself.
What Does The Teen Wolf Cast Think About The Whole Thing?
While speaking to Yahoo! about Dylan O’Brien’s absence from Teen Wolf: The Movie, a couple of the cast members shared that there’s no hard feelings from their side regarding his decision. Here’s what Tyler Posey said:
There's no love lost. I love him so much and he helped really shape Teen Wolf, just his energy alone. So, no matter what, Teen Wolf was always gonna have that in there.
Holland Roden also reacted to the update regarding Lydia and Stiles the movie gives fans. In her words:
Fuck that guy! No, I love Dylan so much and we talked about it a lot before we actually got started. To me, he was always there. He would text me and ask how the day went, how was the first day of filming… Lydia and Stiles were such a big part of the show and I love that Jeff addresses that. It did feel like a legitimate reason to me of why they're not together anymore and it's a really sad reason. But that bittersweet combo is gonna have the fans reeling a little bit, cause it had me reeling of why they wouldn't be together—or are they?
Dylan O’Brien’s absence is surely felt in Teen Wolf: The Movie, but at least a good amount of the cast returned for it. Meanhwile, O’Brien has a stack of movies coming up, including a drama called Ponyboi, a horror movie called Caddo and a comedy called Maximum Truth.
