Tyler Hoechlin's Teen Wolf Movie Role Means Dylan O'Brien Must Return Too

Tyler Hoechlin's return as Derek Hale in the Teen Wolf movie is great for the franchise, but it makes Dylan O'Brien's absence a lot more noticeable.

Tyler Hoechlin's Teen Wolf Movie Role Means Dylan O'Brien Must Return Too

Tyler Hoechlin’s reprisal of his role as Derek Hale in the upcoming Teen Wolf movie makes Dylan O’Brien’s absence even more disheartening. In an interview (via Variety), Dylan O’Brien opened up about this by saying that backing off from the Paramount Plus reboot “was a difficult decision.” He further added that as much as he loves Teen Wolf, he decided not to be a part of the movie because he previously left it “in a really good place.” Considering how Dylan O’Brien’s Stiles Stilinski was always amongst the most admirable characters of the show, it is surprising that he won’t be returning to the Teen Wolf reunion.

The energetic, over-enthusiastic Stiles was initially portrayed as one of Teen Wolf‘s secondary protagonists. However, as the show further dug its roots into the adventures—and misadventures—of its supernatural high school characters, Stiles rose to fame with his fierce loyalty, lightning-fast wit, and charm. Towards the second half of the show, a new version of Styles, known as Void Stiles, won more hearts because of how convincingly Dylan O’Brien portrayed the character’s evil demeanor. Unfortunately, soon after, Stiles’ role abruptly became less significant in Teen Wolf‘s overarching plot.

Despite having a rather disappointing departure from Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien’s Styles is one of the most memorable characters from the show, and that’s why he should be part of the reunion movie as well. Unlike most other primary characters of Teen Wolf, Dylan O’Brien hardly got any screentime during Teen Wolf‘s final season because he got severely injured during the filming of the third installment of the Maze Runner trilogy. The series did eventually bring him back towards the end of the season but gave him a highly unsatisfying closure. The Teen Wolf movie could have been the perfect swan song for the franchise’s most endearing character, but unfortunately, for now, it seems very less likely that Dylan O’Brien will reprise his role. In many ways, the fact that Hoechlin is returning makes O’Brien’s absence even more keenly felt and makes the prospect of Styles’ absence a difficult one for audiences to swallow.

Other than Stiles’ over-the-top expressions, hilarious one-liners, and complex romantic relationships, it is his lack of supernatural abilities that make him stand out among Teen Wolf‘s roster. Although he is a part of Scott McCall’s pack, he chooses to retain his humanity and, by doing so, keeps Scott’s feet grounded in the human world. This makes him the perfect human sidekick to a werewolf leader. Furthermore, Stiles’ character adds a layer of intrigue and suspense to the show’s storyline through his mystery-solving endeavors. Without these crucial ingredients of Stiles’ characterization, not only will the Teen Wolf movie feel incomplete, but so will Scott’s character.

There is still a lot to look forward to in the Teen Wolf movie, given that even Tyler Hoechlin is now returning as Derek Hale. However, regardless of how well the movie executes its follow-up storyline, Stiles’ Teen Wolf absence is still a major letdown. Hopefully, other elements of the reboot will not be as disappointing. As for Dylan O’Brien, the actor has grown well out of his Teen Wolf role and seems to have a long way ahead on the big screen. So, even if he never gets to be Styles again, he will still be seen in other interesting roles in the future.