Fan Favorite Danny might not be in Teen Wolf Season 4!
Just when you thought that LGBT+ representation on Teen Wolf couldn’t get any worse, developments from Wolfs Bane 2 Con took things to a whole new level. Anyone who was hoping to see Danny Mahealani in Teen Wolf Season 4 will be disappointed because it seems the character might not be returning. We have yet to receive official confirmation and reports from conventions (especially those via a secondary source like an actor) should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s not looking good.
Danny Mahealani (Keahu Kahuanui) didn’t have much to do in the three seasons of Teen Wolf, but he was adored by many fans. Not only because he was gay, but because the character was written in a very likeable and non-stereotypical manner. Unfortunately, the fact that he was introduced as Jackson Whittmore’s (Colton Haynes) best friend was something that the character couldn’t shake off even after three years and a respectable fan base. Though Danny enjoyed a brief relationship with werewolf Ethan in Season 3, it seems Jeff didn’t have any other plans for the character after that.
According to fans live-tweeting the events from Wolfs Bane 2 Con, Holland Roden (Lydia Martin) said in a meet and greet that Danny would not be returning for Season 4. The reason Holland gave was that Jeff Davis thought that there was nothing left for Danny to do in Beacon Hills.
Sorry to bring bad news… No Danny on s4. Holland told us that Jeff didn’t think there was anything left for Danny in BH #wb2
— siny (@sinycath) July 12, 2014
After this tweet surfaced, actor Keahu Kahuanui was bombarded with questions to which he responded: “So many questions. So few I can answer.” There is not really much he can say until this rumor is either confirmed or denied by official sources.
Personally, I’m upset by this news. After Season 3’s finale reveal that Danny knew about werewolves I was looking forward to his interactions with Scott and the rest. For fans who have been hoping for a bigger role for Danny in the future seasons, and more gay representation, this is heartbreaking. Not only that, Jeff didn’t think Danny had anything left to do which just makes matters worse. Jeff could’ve at least allowed Danny to finish highschool or enabled him to have a farewell scene involving the current cast. I kind of felt something similar was going to happen after viewing episode 3 “Muted” of Season 4. Not seeing Danny present during the Lacrosse practice was a pretty big red flag for me, and now it seems my fears have been confirmed.
Maybe it was simply that with the introduction of another same gender inclined POC Danny was not necessary anymore. Another gay character, named Mason, is making his debut in Season 4. Considering how the show has treated Danny for three years, it wouldn’t surprise me if Mason is also used just to check the ‘show contains gay character’ box, becoming a token gay character. LGBT+ representation on Teen Wolf does seem close to non-existent, and I doubt that will change anytime soon.
What are your thoughts about the possibility Danny leaving the show? Were you looking forward to more Danny in Teen Wolf Season 4? Let us know in the comments!
Author: Farid-ul-Haq
Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.
Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.
Copyright © The Geekiary
Do not copy our content in whole to other websites. If you are reading this anywhere besides TheGeekiary.com, it has been stolen.Read our
Related posts:
Heidi Johanningmeier and Gideon Emery Discuss “100 Days to Live” and How to Make Them Count
"Teen Wolf" the Movie: Cho Says 'No'
10 Iconic Things From Teen Wolf That Are Worth Celebrating!
Tyler Posey is on a Ship!
Ian Bohen Of "Teen Wolf" Fame Joins Cameo! Do You Have $50 To Spend?
15 of the Greatest and Most Iconic Sterek Moments
“Maybe it was simply that with the introduction of another same gender inclined POC Danny was not necessary anymore” – I think this is what bothers me the most. The idea that we couldn’t possibly have two queer POC people. Because we certainly have enough white straight cis dudes ticking boxes. The fact that Danny is being pretty much replaced is frustrating. If there’s enough of a storyline for more lacrosse players to be added, then why couldn’t Danny stay on the show and on the team? I get wanting to leave Beacon Hills once you’re aware of werewolves, but then why couldn’t that have been said during the Danny/Ethan scene last season so we had closure? We lost two queer characters last season. It’s disappointing.
yup, it’s like the show is saying that replacing one gay dude with another gay dude isn’t a problem….sigh!
I’m upset that Danny may be leaving because I really like him and was hoping that his character would develop and he would become a more important part of the show. The fact that he just “left” without any explanation makes me even more mad. After his revealing that he knew about werewolves at the end of last season opened so many doors to possibilities for Danny, now they’re possibly just going to cut him out of the show?
Being a fan of Danny (and possibly in denial about the news), i’m holding out for the reveal that he’s the Benefactor 🙂
This really upsets me, and I’m hoping desperately that it’s not true.
First of all, the idea that Jeff may have nothing left to write for Danny is sad. Danny hasn’t had a lot of screen time, but in three seasons he’s become enough a part of the canvas that we know him pretty well – he’s smart, self-confident, wears expensive cologne, is athletic, has a dry sense of humor, has recently broken up with the guy who was at least his second boyfriend, and has figured out (or been told) that werewolves are real. And he has history with several of the characters who’ve been part of TW’s story so far. If anything, there’s even MORE to tell of Danny’s story now, because we’ve gotten to know him and care about him yet don’t know ALL there is to know about him. Talk about building a likeable character slowly and weaving him into the canvas! And with him knowing about werewolves, there’s even more potential.
But instead, JD may not think he can do anything else with Danny even though other new characters are being brought into the show, including one who’s been shoehorned into the center of every part of the show and nearly every other character’s life.
Is that really easier to write than to explore more story for a character who’s been there all along and has organic connections to the rest of the players?
Secondly, it concerns me that JD could theoretically see Danny as disposable just because there will be another POC gay character introduced in S4. I thought JD would be one of the rare showrunners who didn’t tick boxes and consider his job done regarding diversity. But I’ve been disappointed in JD a lot lately.
It wasn’t that long ago that Teen Wolf seemed friendly towards more than just the cis het world. Little by little that seems to be changing. Not long ago, this show included a gay relationship and a possibly bi character, along with occasional people in the background who represented a bit more of the spectrum than the cis het universe.
I understand losing Ethan since the actor chose to leave, but the backpedaling on Stiles and now the possible loss of Danny is heartbreaking. Does the show have an obligation to include more than just cis het? No. But the fact that it did, and did so in a manner that didn’t feel artificial, was one of many reasons that I was fond of TW. Those reasons are falling away one at a time.
It seems that the ‘real’ Teen Wolf is being revealed to the fans every season. A show that made it look that it was different from the rest of shows regarding representation, got fans hooked, and is now serving what it was always supposed to: het pairings and lead characters with one token gay character for a minute every season…it’s sad
I understand why Jeff might think there is nothjng more to do with Danny. And I dont think its because he is gay and hes being replaced, I think the character ran his course. Characters and actors come and go all the time, and Teen Wolf fans should know that the best. People shouldnt be offended simply because Danny was gay. If he wasnt gay he would probably have left all the same.
How can you say his character ran its course? Last season ended with him admitting he knows about werewolves and the supernatural. Clearly Jeff Davis can build off of that!