Dylan O’Brien is Teen Wolf‘s Stiles Stilinski, but with the debut of the highly anticipated film adaptation, Teen Wolf: The Movie, fans knew not to expect to see their beloved Stilinski grace their screens.
O’Brien played the role of Stilinski for Teen Wolf’s six-season run, and he was a beloved member of the cast, as was Stilinski in Beacon Hills. Stilinski’s character was clever, funny, smart, and an incredibly loyal friend to have on your side. He was easy to love, even easier to root for, and he made a significant impact on the series as a whole.
From his love life to his career path, you wanted to see him succeed, so when fans initially learned that Teen Wolf: The Movie was set to happen without him, it was hard to imagine. In the lead-up to the premiere of the film, some fans kept their fingers crossed that he’d show up somehow, that it was all a well-kept secret, and we’d get a glimpse of Stilinski after all.
Teen Wolf: The Movie is a bittersweet nod to the story so many of us grew up with, and while there was no surprise visit from Stilinski, his presence is still very much felt. So why did O’Brien decide not to return for the next installment in the storyline, and what does Teen Wolf look like without him? We’ve got you covered.
Who is Dylan O’Brien in Teen Wolf?
As fans know, O’Brien breathed life into Stiles Stilinski throughout six seasons of Teen Wolf. He is a beloved member of Beacon Hills and, as we said above, someone you’d be lucky to call a friend.
Stilinski always held quiet confidence, even when trying to make sense of life as a werewolf, which is not an easy area to be overly confident in. He also helped his best friend, Scott, try to make sense of the same situations, frequently putting those he cared about above himself.
For a character who was so full of joy in the beginning, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Stillinski. From sacrificing himself in the third season to the loss of his mother and being erased from the minds of everyone he loved — he made our hearts ache as we watched him go through an extremely tough set of experiences that shaped him and prepared him to confront the Dread Doctors, even while dealing with his own pain.
Stillinski has immense love for others, and as we’ve been made aware through Teen Wolf: The Movie, his dream career path ended up coming to fruition, but we’ll talk more about that in a moment. For now, fans can remember him as a mystery-loving, problem-solving, and sometimes heart-wrenching character.
What did Dylan O’Brien say about not returning for Teen Wolf: The Movie?
With all the praise O’Brien’s Stilinski got, one might wonder why he decided not to return for Teen Wolf: The Movie. It seems complicated to continue telling a story without its heart, but O’Brien had an excellent reason for his decision, and it was one that the cast and crew were very supportive of.
In a chat with Collider in early 2022, O’Brien shared the following reason for not wanting to return for Teen Wolf: The Movie, and it’s all about being able to honor his journey with the storyline and Stiles Stilinski.
“For me, it ended up boiling down to, it was all coming together very quickly. It was an abrupt and surprising thing that they threw at us. With everyone’s love for the show, I think everyone was pretty game to have open ears about it. Ultimately, it sounds funny, but it’s something that’s so precious to me, that I wouldn’t want to return to it without my knowing that my full heart is in it. I felt really peaceful in the way that we had closed the book on it before and for myself. I just ultimately decided that I was content with leaving it there and not opening it back up.”
Content with leaving his character on the journey of a lifetime makes a lot of sense. It’s giving himself and his character a place to honor their journey together while looking forward to a realm where Stilinski could be doing several things. For all we know, he’s helping solve a convoluted case right now — and there’s no one better fit for the job.
How does Teen Wolf: The Movie address O’Brien’s absence?
Fans of Teen Wolf will be glad to know that, in the lore of the Teen Wolf realm, Stilinski is still alive and well — and he’s a member of the FBI in some capacity. The film doesn’t explicitly explain why Mason Stilinski doesn’t just call up his son or why we don’t see a peek of him throughout the continued story, but it’s clear that he’s still very much involved in their realm.
The lack of a concrete explanation leads fans to create their own theories, some of which could come from another mention of Stilinski in the film. Lydia, his long-time love interest, reveals that they are no longer a couple, and the reason for it is heart-wrenching.
Lydia began having nightmares about Stilinski dying after being involved in a car accident with her, so she thought the only way to keep him safe would be to break things off. Could he be off on a sabbatical, healing from the pain of his lost relationship? Could it be too painful to show up where he might see Lydia right now? Just like reading a good book, sometimes the most entertaining aspect is piecing together our own theories as we watch films and television. Teen Wolf: The Movie gives us that chance where O’Brien’s character is concerned.
Tyler Posey also addressed O’Brien’s absence in a chat with E! News and said there were still pieces of him in the film.
“To Scott, I think he and Stiles keep in touch constantly, so he was still there in the world. We kept the Jeep in there and we tried to reference him as much as possible. 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.”
If you’re missing Stilinski or just not prepared to leap into the film without him, you can watch Teen Wolf on Hulu and Paramount Plus. Teen Wolf: The Movie is now streaming on Paramount Plus.
