How 'Teen Wolf: The Movie' explains the absence of Dylan O'Brien's character, Stiles

• Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for "Teen Wolf: The Movie," now streaming on Paramount+.
• The movie features many cast members from MTV's "Teen Wolf," except Dylan O'Brien.

"Teen Wolf: The Movie" doesn't include any surprise appearances from Stiles Stilinski, but the presence of Dylan O'Brien's beloved character looms over the sequel to MTV's hit show.

After 100 episodes, over the course of six seasons that aired between 2011 and 2017, the cast of "Teen Wolf" reunited for "Teen Wolf: The Movie," now streaming on Paramount+. The film is set years after "Teen Wolf" concluded and follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), now in his 30s, living in LA and working as a vet.

"Teen Wolf: The Movie" brings back plenty of stars from the TV show, but O'Brien is the only original main cast member who doesn't participate.

Here's how the film handles Stiles being a no-show.

Stiles' Jeep is a prominent part of 'Teen Wolf: The Movie'

Scott and Stiles' friendship was a significant part of Teen Wolf," so fans were heartbroken when it was revealed that O'Brien wouldn't be part of the continuation movie. The "Not Okay" actor repeatedly stated in interviews that he wouldn't appear, telling Variety in March 2022: "Ultimately, I just decided it was left in a really good place for me and I still want to leave it there."

O'Brien also told Extra that he lent the movie Stiles' Jeep, which he kept after the TV show wrapped and is still in possession of.

The Jeep was prevalent throughout "Teen Wolf" and sort of became a character as the show progressed, so it makes sense that it would somehow be incorporated into the movie.

In "Teen Wolf: The Movie," Derek Hale's (Tyler Hoechlin) 15-year-old son Eli (Vince Mattis) has an "unhealthy fixation" on the Jeep, Mason Hewitt (Khylin Rhambo) says, and takes it out for joyrides without his dad's permission.

Near the end of the film, after Derek sacrifices himself so the pack can win, Sheriff Stilinski (Linden Ashby) gives Eli the keys to the Jeep and talks about its significance. Apparently, wherever Stiles is in the world, he left his beat-up car in Beacon Hills.

"After my son left it behind, Derek towed it in and it was probably beyond repair," Sheriff Stilinski says. "But then he opened up the hood and he pulled off all the duct tape Stiles had stuck on it, and he managed to fix it. That Jeep, no matter what's been done to it, it just keeps running. He could never figure out why it wouldn't break down and stay down. And I don't think he ever realized that that's exactly the way we saw him."

"Your dad had complicated feelings about that Jeep, but it doesn't mean it needs to be complicated for you," he tells Eli.

Then in a callback to Eli's first scene in the movie, the teen is shown driving the Jeep as its new owner.

Stiles doesn't make an appearance in the movie because he's preoccupied

The reason that Scott and his pack reunite in Beacon Hills is two-fold.

The logline and trailers for the film teased a "terrifying evil" that draws Scott to his hometown and team up with his allies. While this is true, Scott initially begins reconnecting with Chris Argent (JR Bourne), and Lydia Martin (Holland Roden) because they all have been experiencing recurring variations of hallucinations of Allison Argent (Crystal Reed).

Even though it's been 15 years since Allison was killed off on the season three finale of "Teen Wolf," they suspect that perhaps she's stuck in limbo between life and death and never crossed over.

So, they go to Beacon Hills, along with Jackson Whittemore (Colton Haynes), to perform a ritual that may be able to help Allison. In doing so, they inadvertently bring a version of her back to life.

Meanwhile, the characters that still live in Beacon Hills and work for the police force — Sheriff Stilinski (Linden Ashby), Jordan Parrish (Ryan Kelley), and Mason — are preoccupied with an apparent serial arsonist who's been setting fires in the woods.

Early in the film, after the most recent fire occurs, Sheriff Stilinski asks Derek, who's a consultant for the police: "Do I need to call in the FBI?"

In response, Derek says, "Maybe you should be calling your son."

"Trust me, right now, Stiles has his own fires to put out. I think we can handle one arsonist," Sheriff Stilinski replies.

This is likely a reference to Stiles joining the FBI as an intern on the final season of "Teen Wolf."

Lydia reveals she broke up with Stiles because of a recurring dream

"Teen Wolf: The Movie" doesn't address whether or not Scott and Stiles are still best friends, but it's clear that many of his pack members drifted apart within their circle.

Early in the movie, Jackson alludes to Lydia and Stiles' relationship status when Chris Argent asks why she stopped using her banshee power.

"Obviously it has something to do with Stiles," Jackson says nonchalantly.

This is confirmed later when the film's main villain, Adrian Harris (Adam Fristoe) — the former chemistry teacher who was presumed to be dead at the end of season three, episode four — forces Lydia to reveal the pain of her heartbreak.

Specifically, Adrian threatens to kill Jackson in front of her if she doesn't say why she left Stiles.

Lydia reluctantly explains that she had a recurring dream, in which she and Stiles were involved in a car crash that left him dead.

"He wasn't blinking, he wasn't breathing," she said.

She couldn't tell if it was just a dream or if it was a premonition. But if she ended their relationship, Stiles wouldn't be in danger of dying and she shouldn't use her banshee wail.

"If I was never in the car with him there wouldn't be a crash," Lydia said. "He wouldn't have to die."

So, she had to leave Stiles for his own safety.