Sorry, But Matthew Lillard Is Right About Stu’s Scream 7 Return

With Scream 7 bringing back Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, there’s speculation about which other legacy characters could come back, including Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher – but Lillard is right about Stu’s return and place in Scream 7. The Scream franchise was successfully revived through the reboot and legacy sequel trends, with a trilogy that introduced a new generation of characters led by sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega). However, after Barrera’s firing, Ortega dropping out, and director Christopher Landon also leaving, the future of Scream 7 was at risk.

Scream 7 is now officially happening with a new director, a new script, and the franchise’s main Final Girl, Sidney Prescott (Campbell), back to lead the film. Campbell’s return has made way for speculation on which other legacy characters could return for what’s expected to be the franchise’s final chapter, with Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) most likely to return. Sidney’s comeback has also fueled rumors about Stu Macher’s return once again, but Lillard is aware of what Stu’s place in the franchise is… and he’s right.

Matthew Lillard Said The Scream Franchise Doesn’t Need Him – And He’s Right

Matthew Lillard Is Open To Returning But Doesn’t Think He’s Needed

Although Stu’s fate in Scream was pretty graphic, his survival has been debated for years. In the third act of Scream, after being stabbed and more, Stu was overpowered by Sidney, who dropped a TV on his head, electrocuting him to death. However, many fans of the saga believe Stu survived and has been waiting for his revenge. The theory gained force after Matthew Lillard made a very sneaky cameo in Scream 2, and speculation about his possible return was further fueled when the reboot trilogy was announced.

The return of Billy Loomis in Sam’s hallucinations also fed the belief of Stu’s return in the reboot trilogy, but there isn’t substantial evidence of his possible comeback, and Lillard is aware of Stu’s place in the Scream saga. During a Scream panel at Calgary Expo (via Collider), Lillard was asked about Stu and his opinion on the belief that he survived and could return to the saga. Lillard said he stands “at the ready to serve the franchise as it needs to be served” but that the good news is that the Scream saga “doesn’t need him”, and though it would be fun to return, “it’s not up to him”.

Stu already has a place of honor in the Scream franchise and horror history as one of the original Ghostface killers, along with Billy Loomis. The latter’s return was possible by making Sam his daughter and having her deal with mental health problems that made her hallucinate her father, despite never meeting him. Supposing Stu somehow survived, it would be very difficult to bring him back in a believable and organic way, as he has no links to the current characters except Sidney and Gale, but they are way past the events of the first movie.

That’s not to mention that Stu’s survival is pretty hard to believe, especially as it happened on screen. It would be very hard for him to have survived and recovered from a TV falling on his face and electrocuting him, so even if he was brought back, Scream 7 would have to go to lengths to give a convincing explanation of how he survived and why he returned after almost three decades.

Scream 7’s New Director Makes Stu’s Return More Unlikely

Scream 7 Will Be Directed By Franchise Creator Kevin Williamson

After the above-mentioned obstacles during the pre-production of Scream 7, the project was picked up again when franchise creator Kevin Williamson stepped in as director. Williamson hasn’t directed a Scream movie before, but as the creator of the saga, his involvement in the reboot trilogy’s final chapter is exciting and promising – however, it’s bad news for those waiting for Stu’s return. Speaking to Collider in 2022, Williamson spoke about the rumors of Stu’s survival and debunked all theories by saying Stu is dead, and Lillard’s cameos after Scream were unrelated to Stu.

Although Williamson didn’t write the script of Scream 7, as franchise creator he surely has creative influence over it, and it seems unlikely Williamson would agree to bring a character back that he has said is 100% dead. Scream 7 is already loaded with nostalgia with the return of Sidney and her potential reunion with Gale, and it really doesn’t need more legacy characters, especially those who died years ago.

How Matthew Lillard Can Return To The Scream Saga (Without Resurrecting Stu)

Stu Macher Doesn’t Have To Be Alive To Return

Stu doesn’t need to come back, but there are ways in which he can be part of Scream 7 without having to resurrect him or retcon his fate. If Scream 7 truly is the final chapter in the saga, it would make sense to have flashbacks to the first movie, especially as Sidney is back. A flashback is the best and most believable way to bring Stu back, as well as a voice cameo (which could also be Lillard voicing someone else, as he did in Scream 2022 as a flamethrower Ghostface).

Another way is through hallucinations, similar to the ones Sam had of Billy, though this is a lot trickier now that Sam won’t be around. Having Matthew Lillard back in some capacity in Scream 7 would surely be a treat for fans, but that doesn’t mean bringing Stu back, and Lillard is right in saying the franchise doesn’t need Stu.

Source: Collider.