James Van Der Beek abruptly drops out of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ reunion

James Van Der Beek dropped out of the upcoming “Dawson’s Creek” reunion charity event.

The 48-year-old actor, who has cancer, announced on Instagram Sunday that he can’t attend Monday’s reunion with his former co-stars due to a stomach illness.

“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January,” Van Der Beek wrote. “So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment.”

“Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there,” he continued. “I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most.”

But Van Der Beek confirmed that his “ridiculously overqualified” understudy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, will take his place in the table read.

He described the “Hamilton” star, 45, as “someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient.”

“The role of ‘Dawson’, usually played by James Van Der Beek…Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that,” he wrote. “Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin.”

“And thank you @lin_manuel,” Van Der Beek added. “You were a hero to my kids before… now you’re a demigod 😇.”

Van Der Beek’s wife, Kimberly, confirmed in the comments that she and the couple’s six children will be at the event.

The cast of the beloved teen drama series will reunite at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City for a live table reading of the show’s 1998 pilot episode. The event benefits F Cancer and Van Der Beek, who has been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer since last year.

Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps are all set to attend the reunion.

Jason Moore, who directed three episodes of “Dawson’s Creek,” is directing the charity event. He will also produce the reading alongside Williams, 45, her husband Thomas Kail, the show’s creator Kevin Williamson, Carl Ogawa, Maggie Brohn, and Greg Berlanti.

“Dawson’s Creek” follows a group of friends who live in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. The series aired from 1998 to 2003 on The WB.

Van Der Beek, who played protagonist Dawson Leery, announced his cancer diagnosis last November.

“I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family,” he told People at the time. “There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good.”

In July, Van Der Beek told Today.com that living with cancer feels like a “full-time job” and that “it’ll probably be a process for the rest of my life.”

However, the “Varsity Blues” actor has found comfort in how sharing his story has helped others with cancer.

“That’s been stuff that really makes me cry. When people say, ‘I got checked, I got a colonoscopy, I got a polyp removed,’ … just to save somebody that journey,” he said.