Why Teen Wolf: The Movie didn't bring back Dylan O'Brien, Arden ...

Teen Wolf: The Movie spoilers follow.

Teen Wolf: The Movie feeds on nostalgia like wolves munching on a scrumptious deer carcass, so it should come as no surprise that most of your faves from the MTV generation are back once again for a reunion in Beacon Hills.

Most of the big cast names have returned following Teen Wolf's end in 2017, but with a few major exceptions. So yes, Tyler Posey, Holland Roden and even Crystal Reed all feature heavily, along with a few names you might have even forgotten, but not everyone stuck around in the six-year gap.

While Tyler Hoechlin's name was notably absent from the initial casting announcement, it was later confirmed that he'd be bringing back Derek Hale, after all. However, the same can't be said for Dylan O'Brien and Arden Cho, both of whom turned the movie down for reasons we'll get into shortly.

And what about Benjamin Wadsworth while we're at it? Didn't his character play a big role in the very last episode?

Looks like the poster was lying when it claimed that "The Pack is Back" – or at least, not the whole pack.

Why didn't Dylan O'Brien (Stiles) return for Teen Wolf: The Movie?

The most obvious omission in Teen Wolf: The Movie is Dylan O'Brien, aka Stiles Stilinski.

Writer Jeff Davis tries his best to fill in that gap with multiple references to Stiles, and even gives an explanation on why he's no longer with Lydia. Still, there's only so much you can do without Dylan himself in the picture.

As Tyler Posey put it to us in our exclusive chat: "We talked about [Stiles] a lot, but still had to keep the story moving without him, because we couldn't dwell on his absence for too long."

But every time that jeep pops up, that absence feels all-too-real. Stiles was an OG character who appeared in every episode, after all. So what happened?

Back in 2020, O'Brien told Variety that he was actually quite keen to get involved, even though no one had approached him about the reunion yet: "I would jump at the chance to do any kind of thing. We'll come back together for something at some point."

While Dylan was right that a reunion would end up happening, fans were then shocked to learn that he would no longer be a part of said reunion. In 2022, O'Brien explained why he ended up turning the film down during another chat with 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," added Dylan, "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**king kicks ass, but I'm not going to be in it."

In a later interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O'Brien opened up more about this decision, explaining that his original plan to return came largely from a desire to satisfy the needs of other people over his own.

"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 f**k with it."

Why didn't Arden Cho (Kira) return for Teen Wolf: The Movie?

The other big absence that's sorely felt in Teen Wolf: The Movie is Arden Cho's character, Kira. First introduced in season three, the sword-wielding kitsune was promoted to series regular for seasons four and five, yet she's nowhere to be seen in the reunion special.

However, there is a very good reason for that, one that's been highly publicised in the build up to Teen Wolf's return.

Back in February 2022, Deadline reported that Cho had rejected an offer from Paramount to return because of the money involved. It was suggested that Arden would only be paid half the per-episode salary that the other three female cast members were offered. It's important to note here that Cho was the only non-white cast member among this particular group.

At the time, Arden didn't respond to the article directly, although she did seem to acknowledge support from her fans on the issue in a tweet dated February 16:

"Love you, wish I could give you all hugs," she wrote.

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Eagle-eyed fans also noticed that fellow cast mate Dylan O'Brien liked a tweet that showed support for Arden just a short time later.

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Then, in May 2022, the Korean American star finally addressed Deadline's report via The Cut where she said: "I think I was actually offered even less" than the article stated.

Arden added that she didn't know who leaked the information – "I probably would've never shared it" – and she didn't elaborate on how she learnt about the pay gap either.

What Cho did speak on though is the systemic nature of this issue, and how it impacts other Asian American actors like her:

"I could probably, off the top of my head, think of over ten Asian American actors I know who were paid significantly less than their counterparts. Sometimes you don't have a choice to say 'no'. Sometimes you just need it. You've got bills to pay."

Speaking on her refusal to appear in Teen Wolf: The Movie, Cho added: "I wasn't saying 'no' necessarily for me or because I was angry. I was saying 'no' because I hope that there will be more equality in the future."

Arden made a brave, important step here which deserves to be celebrated, no matter how much you might miss Kira's involvement in the reunion.

Why didn't Benjamin Wadsworth (Alec) return for Teen Wolf: The Movie?

At the end of Teen Wolf's initial six season run, the story finished with a new character called Alec who joined Scott McCall's pack. Played by Benjamin Wadsworth, this new "Teen Wolf" represented the future of the show, symbolising how the pack will continue on even if they're no longer on our screens.

Jump ahead six years and suddenly, Alec is nowhere to be seen with nary a glimpse or mention. No official reason has been given for this, but it seems that the issue might lie with that time jump.

While six years have passed in real-time, it's been over fifteen years since the events of that final episode transpired, which means that a whole lot has changed in Beacon Hills.

Alec was supposed to represent the pack's youthful future, but with that time jump, he'd now be an adult himself. And that's why the film introduces a new Teen Wolf in the form of Eli Hale, Derek's teenage son. Moving forward, he's the one who will now symbolise the franchise's future, or at least, the "Teen" aspect of it.

And what of Alec? Without any solid explanation, we'd guess that he simply left town at some point, and given his small impact in the show, the creative team probably thought he wasn't even worth mentioning.

Teen Wolf: The Movie is released on Paramount+ in the US on January 26 and in the UK on January 27.