While Matthew Lillard’sScream 7return would have been amazing news earlier in the franchise, theScreamstar’s comeback is unlikely to work thanks to another hit horror franchise. The production of2026’s upcomingScream 7has already been legendarily messy, and there is still over a year before the sequel arrives in theaters. First,Scream 2022andScream VIstars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega left the sequel in November 2023, only for original director Christopher Landon to exit shortly after.
Then, series star Neve Campbell was confirmed to return inScream 7, with original Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson directing. However, Patrick Dempsey’sScream 3love interest Mark Kincaid was replaced by Joel McHale, andScream 7cast Sidney’s daughterwithYellowstonestar Isabel May. The question of how Sidney had a secret daughter in her 20s aside, the return of Campbell’s original co-star Courtney Cox was soon announced and the cast was rounded out by newcomers Celeste O’Connor, McKenna Grace, and Asa Germann, as well as returning supporting stars Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
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Although this cast includes some major star power, there were sometricky questions forScream 7’s story to answereven before the most recent cast addition was revealed. The fact that Sidney never mentioned her adult daughter’s existence beforeScream 7is bizarre since May’s character would have been around 10 duringScream 4and around 20 duringScream 2022’s story. Furthermore, it is hard to see how Gooding’s Chad and Brown’s Mindy can return without viewers wondering what happened to Barrera’s Sam and Ortega’s Tara.
Scream 4’s Kirby came back inScream VI, proving it isn’t impossible for the franchise to retcon apparent off-screen deaths.
All of these problems were heightened whenoriginalScreamstar Matthew Lillard confirmed that he would return as Stu Macher inScream 7viaInstagram. A few short years ago, this announcement might have been met with delight. There were persistent fan theories about Stu survivingScream’s ending, withScream VIeven alluding to these claims.Scream 4’s Kirby came back inScream VI, proving it isn’t impossible for the franchise to retcon apparent off-screen deaths. Finally, Skeet Ulrich reprising his role as Billy proved the franchise could bring back characters as ghosts even if they were definitively dead.
ThenFive Nights At Freddy’shappened. 2023’s long-awaited video game adaptation may not have been well-liked by critics, but it was one of the biggest horror movies in years. As such,Lillard playingScream 7’s villain now wouldn’t be much of a noveltysince the actor already appeared as the villain of one of the most successful horror movies of the last decade.Scream 7’s storymay have another plan for Lillard’s Stu, but most of the character’s other return options are equally unviable for various reasons.
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Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega’s Scream Story Was Linked To Billy’s Ghost
Since Stu playingScream 7’s villain would inevitably be an unsurprising disappointment afterFive Nights At Freddy’salready used this twist,theScreamfranchise could bring back Lillard’s Stu as a ghost instead. However, this would also be a terrible idea since it would remind viewers of Billy’s role inScream 2022andScream VI. Billy appeared as a ghost to Sam in both movies, so using Stu in the same fashion would remind viewers that theScreamseries left Sam and Tara’s storyunfinished.
Already, the presence of Chad and Mindy will make Sam and Tara’s absence obvious and tough to justify. Bringing Stu back as a ghost will only exacerbate this, reminding viewers of Sam’s hauntings and making the story ofScream2022andScream VIfeel even more obviously unfinished.Scream 7needs a clean break, and that will be impossible when the sequel has promised to bring back the sidekick of a character who was central toScream 2022andScream VI’s backstory.
Scream 7 Can’t Reveal Matthew Lillard’s Stu Is Alive After Scream VI
Scream VI Heavily Implied Lillard’s Villain Survived Scream
Since it is clear thatScream 7can’t bring back Stu as a ghost or have him play the sequel’s killer villain, another option would be to simply reveal that he has been alive all along.The unlikelyScreamsurvivor Stu Macher could be a red herring, and the revelation that he is alive could distract Sidney and her family from the real culprit for a while. However,Scream VI’s endingalready ruined this possibility, too.
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Neve Campbell’s Sidney will return in Scream 7, but Melissa Barrera’s firing and Jenna Ortega’s exit mean this change won’t save the slasher sequel.
Near the end ofScream VI, Kirby admitted to Mindy that there were conspiracy theories about Stu surviving the massacre atScream’s ending. If ever there was a time to bring back Stu, that was it. The ensuing finale featured two young characters who could have been Stu’s children unmasking themselves and saying that they did all of this to avenge their family, only for the third killer to turn out to be Dermot Mulroney’s Detective Bailey and the family connection to instead be withScream 2022’s killer, Richie.
Now, it will no longer be surprising if Stu is alive inScream 7. In-universe, this possibility was already teased inScream VI. In reality, Lillard announcing his role in the sequel means it is expected. Furthermore,Scream 7revealing that Stu somehow survived the events ofScreamand then successfully hid his identity in the decades that followed is already faintly ridiculous.
Scream 7 Shouldn’t Kill Off Matthew Lillard’s Stu Either
Stu’s Death Would Make His Long-Awaited Comeback Pointless
Finally,Scream 7could just kill off Matthew Lillard’s Stutoshock viewers. This would definitely be the most controversial approach for the slasher franchise to take since viewers have waited since 1996 to see the character return. However, it would hard for this twist not to feel like a waste of time, meaning Stu can’t return after decades just to be killed off.
Even revealing that Stu is alive isn’t as surprising as it once would have been, meaning there is no good way for Scream 7 to utilize his return.
Stu can’t be the villain, as outlined above, and he can’t be a ghost since this would just remind viewers of Billy’s unfinished business with Sam and Tara. Even revealing that Stu is alive isn’t as surprising as it once would have been, meaning there is no good way for Scream 7to utilize his return. IfScream 2022featured Stu, the character’s comeback might have worked. As is, theScreamvillain’s return inScream 7feels like another desperate ploy to keep an ailing franchise alive for another sequel.
