SDCC 17: ‘Teen Wolf’ Star Charlie Carver Talks His Big Return: “I Don’t Think I Would Be the Person I Am Today Without Teen Wolf”
Nora Dominick ’17/ Emertainment Monthly Executive Editor
If San Diego Comic Con 2017 was any indication, Teen Wolf’s final ten episodes are very much a love letter to long time fans. The hit MTV series will begin its final run on July 30th and the cast spent SDCC 2017 saying goodbye to the series and fans that made it such a success. Teen Wolf 6B will feature a ton of returning cast members, including Charlie Carver, who plays Ethan. Carver chats with us about how this return came about, what he took from set, and how Teen Wolf will always be with him.
Alongside Charlie Carver, several other original cast members of Teen Wolf will appear in the final ten episodes of the series. It’s a homecoming of sorts as we begin to say goodbye to a series that became a phenomenon. When asked about how this big return came about, Carver said him and his fellow departed cast mates always knew they wanted to return when the series ended. In the spirit of the Teen Wolf family, all the returning cast members were going to return together, or not at all. Carver recounts, “In terms of the rest of the cast, Tyler Hoechlin and Colton [Haynes] and everybody that came back, we all talked amongst ourselves. And was like ‘You’re doing it? You’re doing it? Okay, we’re all doing it, we have to go back!’ It was a blast.”
While Carver has been away from Teen Wolf for several seasons now, he says nothing was weird about returning to Beacon Hills for the final ten episodes. “It was sort of a bigger budget, big stuff that happens at the end of the season. It was a lot of work, a lot of hours, but it’s also like being back.” He continues saying, “Being back in the old days, it feels like summer camp. We had so much fun in between takes. I’m so glad I got to be there.”
Although Carver couldn’t give too much away about how his character returns or how many episodes he’s in, he says that the final episodes are very much a love letter. “We wanted to celebrate, not only the fans, and how much love we’ve gotten from them, and what the show has done for us, but how being part of Teen Wolf changed us forever and how we carry that out into the world and bring that back into the show.”
Charlie Carver is excited to explore Ethan once again, especially this time around he’ll be playing Ethan without Aiden, who was portrayed by his twin brother, Max Carver. He talks about Ethan’s journey saying, “What was so fun for us, for my brother and I, when we were first on the show, was getting to do that journey, from being part of the bad guys, to being part of the good guys.” He continues saying, “We left and left on this sad note, but what I got to discover about Ethan throughout that, was sort of a snarkier, sweet side. So, taking that back in. And looking at where did Ethan go after the death of his brother and what kind of person is he on his own.”
In terms of what Ethan will be like upon returning to Beacon Hills, Carver was pretty tight lipped, but did say, “I think, we had just finally really gotten to be part of the pack in season 3, finally accepted as part of the pack, especially with Aiden’s sacrifice. Being part of that pack, when you’re called back, you’re called back.” In terms of Ethan meeting all the new people that are part of Scott’s pack, he says the final 10 episodes really focuses on this huge war and figuring out who is on the good or bad sides of it.
As we see in the Teen Wolf 6B trailer, Charlie Carver will share some scenes with Colton Haynes. Carver revealed that him and Haynes were together for a lot of the shooting. While he spends a lot of time with Haynes, Carver was excited to work with the new people that have arrived on Teen Wolf since he left. “There’s something that we affectionately call as “first class” then “second generation.” So to get to work with them was great.” He continues saying, “I spent a lot of time with [Dylan] Sprayberry and the newer cast members, but to work with them and spend time on set, that’s great. It brings things full circle.”
Of course when any show comes to an end, there’s always the question of if the cast members left the set with any costume pieces or props. Carver reveals that everyone got to take one of the most important pieces of Teen Wolf home: their werewolf fangs. He says, “One of the coolest things about Teen Wolf is the first day, for everyone I think, is meeting up with the SFX team, getting your teeth, your contacts and learning about it all. But the teeth, is like your welcome, and your goodbye. So I kept those.”
During Teen Wolf’s Hall H panel at SDCC, Charlie Carver and the rest of the cast spoke about how much the show and fans have influences their lives. Carver told the crowded Hall H that the show has allowed him to have “authenticity” in his life. While Carver has been part of several other series since departing Teen Wolf he says there’s nothing quite like this particular cast.
Carver says, “This cast in particular, is so close, and really encourages each other on a personal level, to go forward and be who you are.” He continues by saying, “I don’t think I would be the person I am today without Teen Wolf and having had that family around me and without having this fandom for having that undying and unconditional support.”