Your favorite show that ended five years ago announces that they’re coming out with a revival movie this year. You should be excited right? You are not. Instead, you are ridden with fear of what the movie will consist of since your favorite characters are not in it.

That’s the exact kind of heartache that Teen Wolf fans are going through right now.

It was announced back in September 2021 that a Teen Wolf movie would be coming out on Paramount +. Though, we’ll have to wait a bit longer, as it won’t be coming out until January 26. 2023.

When the cast list was first revealed, fans were astonished to find out that beloved characters wouldn’t be returning to revive their roles in the supernatural film. 

Favored characters such as Theo Raeken (Cody Christian) and Kira Yukimura (Arden Cho) will not be reprising their roles. It is currently unsure whether Isaac Lahey (Daniel Sharman) will be coming back. But, most heart-wrenching, everyone’s favorite, the heart of the show Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O’Brien), will not be appearing in the Teen Wolf movie.

I know what you’re thinking. This has to be some kind of prank right? There’s just no way Stiles Stilinski isn’t going to be in the Teen Wolf movie. Well, I’m here to break the news that this is in fact, not a prank. I know, I’m crying too. How could heartthrob Dylan O’Brien do this to us?

O’Brien explained in an interview with Variety why he’s not going to be in the movie.

“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 f****** kicks a**, but I’m not going to be in it.”

Even with his explanation, his not being in it is still very unsettling. 

I just don’t see how a Teen Wolf movie is even possible without Stiles. The hype of the movie is being overlooked by his absence. It’s so hard to be excited knowing that he’s not going to be in it. That’s a huge void to fill.

Speaking of a void, the plot of the movie is based on season 3B of the show in which “void Stiles” was the main antagonist. Stiles was possessed by an old fox spirit called the Nogitsune, and the entire season focused on separating Stiles from the spirit and defeating it. How exactly are they using a Stiles-based plot without him actually being present?

Though we’ll be heavily missing Dylan, one major thing connected to his character remains, his Jeep. Crumbs. We are being fed crumbs. But, every Teen Wolf fan knows how much Stiles loves his Jeep. Dylan took the Jeep as a keepsake after the show ended, and lent it to the movie’s set to use in the movie. It will be interesting to see how they will integrate it into the plot, though the car was truly a main character itself.

Another Stiles-related thing to take into account is what will become of his relationship with his girlfriend Lydia Martin (Holland Roden). The two were the definition of a slow burn romance, and didn’t start dating until the last season of the show. Though, viewers were rooting for them all along, as their tension started building for the first season, and could see them coming from a mile away. Jeff Davis, writer of both the movie and TV show, speaks on both Stiles’ absence as well as the future of he and Lydia.

“…we reference it. And I think we can’t do the movie without paying tribute to the character Stiles. So he comes up in more than one situation. And there’s a big storyline with Lydia actually, that the fans can look forward to that has to do with their relationship.”

So, Stydia fans can hopefully look forward to their favorite ship still going strong after all these years. However, considering they didn’t officially get together until the last season, fans will never get the satisfaction of being able to see them actively as a couple. Sorry Stydia fans, you’ll be deprived of seeing Stiles and Lydia’s electric love in this movie.

On the flip side, something that fans can look forward to is Allison Argent’s (Crystal Reed) return. Although, (*spoiler alert*) her character died in season 3B, so it will be interesting to see how she makes a comeback. While Allison is greatly loved, to be blunt, bringing her character back from the dead takes away from the intense, heartbreaking perfection that was her death scene. It was unwise to revive her. 

O’Brien was right, the show was left in a good place. Davis should have kept it.

To any new Teen Wolf fans that might not have as deep of a connection to the characters, you’ll be able to sit on your couch peacefully eating your popcorn while enjoying the new movie, but us OG fans will be too busy hoping O’Brien surprises us and pops up on the screen.