To be honest, we are still in total shock that there is going to be a Teen Wolf movie! Yes, revivals and reboots are all the rage these days, but we are still so pleasantly surprised that Teen Wolf is getting another chance to make us howl! The movie will be streaming exclusively on Paramount + and they have released the names of the cast members who are already set to return.
There are a ton of OG cast members coming back, but it’s the cast that isn’t coming back (as of now) that really stuck out for most people. Dylan O’Brien (Stiles) and Tyler Hoechlin (Derek) are not included on the list of returning cast, which sucks, but the major bummer is the news that Arden Cho (Kira) won’t be back either. And it’s even more frustrating to read the reports that it was due to her being offered less money than her co-stars.
Putting aside the rage we have about the reported pay inequity, can we talk about how this should have been a Kira-centric movie from the start?! Arden Cho’s Kira was one of the most compelling characters on the show and her ending always felt super unresolved. Yes, they explained why she had to leave, but it never felt complete. It was like when they sent Jeremy Gilbert off to art school on The Vampire Diaries, the difference being that they at least had him come back now and then. Kira went to desert art school and never returned.
Yes, in case you forgot, she was a MAIN character and in love with Scott, but still left to go learn from the Skinwalkers and stay there. Not only was she a huge character, Arden Cho’s portrayal was awesome. And just to keep adding to the “are they crazy” stew a little more, Kira’s family was the basis for the central storyline in the third season. This season is still regarded as the best of the series by most.
Setting aside how cool the Japanese lore was and how it was such a game changer for the show, we need to talk about how cool the character of Kira was and how much potential is being wasted by not having her character HEAVILY featured in this movie. The fox spirit was powerful as heck and her belt/sword was so badass. Kira whipping her belt off and it becoming a sword was – in a word – iconic.
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And this wasn’t just any sword, it could cut through dimensions! In Season 6, Liam used it to get Theo out of Hell and then broke it because Theo wouldn’t give him info until he was certain there was no way to send him back. The Skinwalkers that Kira went to live with have fixed this sword once before. We are pretty certain they could do it again. Or heck, Kira might even be able to do it herself at this point!
Fans were hopeful that she would be back at the end of the series, when so many other departed OG characters came back for the farewell, but the Kitsune was still MIA.
Basically, we want more Kira. We want to know if she can control her powers and we want to see her use them and kick the ass of whatever crazy thing Scott and the pack will be up against in Teen Wolf The Movie! But, most importantly, we want Arden Cho to be paid fairly for her role.
We are holding out hope that this major oversight is corrected because out of all the characters in the Teen Wolf universe, Kira’s story feels the most unfinished and she (and Arden Cho) deserve better.
All episodes of Teen Wolf are available to stream on Paramount +.
