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Why Stiles Is Missing From the New ‘Teen Wolf’ Movie

Dylan O'Brien as Stiles in Teen Wolf

The Teen Wolf cast has returned for Teen Wolf: The Movie, which takes place five years after the iconic MTV series ends. That means its main character, Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), is no longer a teen—but he’s still living in Beacon Hills and running with his pack.

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In addition to the time jump and the surprise return of Crystal Reed as Allison Argent (who died in Teen Wolf season 3), Teen Wolf: The Movie has another significant change: Scott’s best friend Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) is nowhere to be seen.

Is Stiles dead in Teen Wolf: The Movie?

Stiles doesn’t appear on-screen in Teen Wolf: The Movie, though his character is mentioned several times. That makes sense. In the TV series, he’s Scott’s best friend, Stilinski (Linden Ashby)’s son, and Lydia (Holland Roden)’s boyfriend.

In the movie, he’s mentioned by name for the first time when Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) and Mason (Khylin Rhambo) are investigating a crime scene and debating whether they should call the FBI or just have Stilinski call Stiles, who seems to still be working for the Bureau. We never learn if Stiles gets that call, but he doesn’t come back to Beacon Hills despite the BBEG of the movie having made a previous appearance in Teen Wolf season 3 and having a personal connection to Stiles.

That may be because, as Lydia reveals, she broke up with him to prevent one of her visions from coming true. She’s been dreaming of a car accident where she survives and Stiles doesn’t, and she thought the best option for keeping him alive was to end their relationship. So Stiles isn’t dead, potentially thanks to Lydia’s decision.

Fans will still get to see Stiles’s iconic Jeep in Teen Wolf: The Movie, because he left it behind when it stopped running. Derek got it working again, and Stilinski bequeathed it to Derek’s son Eli (Vince Mattis). Although it’s not the same as seeing Stiles himself, the Jeep is a comforting reminder of his days in Beacon Hills.

(featured image: MGM Television)

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Samantha Puc
Samantha Puc (she/they) is a fat, disabled, lesbian writer and editor who has been working in digital and print media since 2010. Their work focuses primarily on LGBTQ+ and fat representation in pop culture and their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., and elsewhere. Samantha is the co-creator of Fatventure Mag and she contributed to the award-winning Fat and Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives. They are an original cast member of Death2Divinity, and they are currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School. When Samantha is not working or writing, she loves spending time with her cats, reading, and perfecting her grilled cheese recipe.

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