Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Exorcist: Believer!
The Exorcist: Believer director David Gordon Green has opened up about why a brutal Chris MacNeil twist happened when she appeared in the film. During the movie, Victor Fielding goes to Chris for help after his daughter and her friend become possessed by the demon Lamashtu. Upon confronting his daughter’s friend, the demonic entity inside her stabs Chris’ eyes out with a crucifix.
Speaking with CinemaBlend, Green has explained why Chris ends up with her eyes stabbed out by Lamashtu in The Exorcist: Believer. The director said the moment is a reflection of how the Devil can still get a few winning moments, even if he loses in the end. Check out what Green had to say below:
It is such a different type of character [than Laurie Strode]. For Chris, who I feel like is such a soft spoken, spiritual entity that communicates on a whole different level – I’m speaking about Chris, not Ellen – in that character, I think I wanted her… she’s a character that I adore because her intentions are always so pure and valid, whether it’s writing a book, hopeful that parents dealing with the unexplained, she can help them. But then somehow it fractures her against her daughter Regan and their relationship.
In the scene where that you’re speaking to, she’s there to bring what she’s learned over the years, over the 50 years since the events of Georgetown, and she’s there to help this family cleanse their young daughter of this ailment – and then she gets it handed to her. So her intentions are always pure, and she’s greeted with conflict and obstacles all the way.
In terms of where that story came from, I had the ending in mind, and I wanted a warmth to the ending, but I wanted to make sure that the devil got a few checks on the scoreboard. And it couldn’t be a nice tidy, wrapped up everybody’s happily ever after. I could bring warmth and closure, but also feel like we didn’t get out unscathed.
What Chris’ Injury Means For The New Exorcist Trilogy
After her eyes are stabbed out, Chris spends the rest of the film in the hospital. This keeps her away from the actual exorcism that happens at the end of the film, where Angela is saved and Katherine is dragged to Hell. The Exorcist: Believer ends happily for her, though, as her estranged daughter Regan returns to see her in the hospital.
As of writing, it has yet to be confirmed if Chris will return for the next film in Green’s planned trilogy, The Exorcist: Deceiver. If she does, then it’s possible her role will be dampened once again because of her injury during the latest installment. However, with Regan now repairing her relationship with her mother, it’s possible she could become a focal point for the franchise moving forward.
Although Chris has been incapacitated by Lamashtu, her fifty years of experience studying exorcisms across different cultures means her guidance will be vital moving forward. While it’s still unclear what will happen in The Exorcist: Believer‘s planned sequels, Chris could have a role in both as she assists in combating possession. With Regan also returning at the end of the movie, the duo could end up working together to confront a new demonic foe.
