The horror genre has been in a renaissance for years now, and 2023 definitely started off with a bang thanks to releases like M3GAN and Scream VI. The latter movie arrived over the weekend, and has already broken records for the beloved franchise. Just like its 2022 predecessor, the new Scream was helmed by directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett who are also superfans of the property. The last two movies have brought back legacy characters like Judy Hicks and Kirby Reed respectively, and there are 5 Scream survivors that I think need to be brought back in a future sequel.
In every Scream movie there are a few characters that manage to make it out of their encounter with Ghostface still alive. When I spoke with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett ahead of Scream VI's release, they teased that the identity of another potential returning character was revealed via an easter egg. I've seen the movie twice and can't quite crack the code, but there seems like a few obvious choices to return if Paramount greenlights another sequel. Let's break it all down.
Patrick Dempsey as Mark Kincaid (Scream 3)
This is one Scream return that felt like it was inevitable for a time. Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey famously starred as Mark Kincaid in Scream 3, and survived the attacks by Ghostface Roman Bridger. While he hasn't been seen in the slasher franchise since, he's felt just out of the frame thanks to a few key references.
Because when Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott appeared in the 2022 Scream, it became clear that she and Mark actually ended up marrying and having a family together. His name was dropped, although Patrick Dempsey never actually appeared. But with the franchise continuing to lean into legacy characters, could this change in a future appearance? Of course, the return of Kincaid would presumably be tied to Sidney, so Neve Campbell might have to negotiate a new deal in order to see this pair back on the big screen. But with Patrick Dempsey recently getting into the sequel game with his role in Disenchanted, it doesn't seem totally out of the question that he might take another Scream gig.
Rebecca Gayheart and Portia de Rossi as Sister Lois and Sister Murphy (Scream 2)
This one is a two-fer. 1997's Scream 2 followed as Sidney went away to college, only for Ghostface to return for another massacre. Wes Craven's first sequel was jam packed with red herrings, with some of these characters never actually coming into contact with the masked killer throughout its 120-minute runtime. And that was certainly the case with Sister Lois and Sister Murphy, played by Rebecca Gayheart and Portia de Rossi respectively.
These two characters were largely kept out of the main action of Scream 2; they were at various parties and in the cast of Sidney's play, but didn't actually get bloody like most of their co-stars. So hardcore fans would no doubt be psyched to see either or both of them return in a future Scream movie.
If we're judging by the easter eggs in Scream VI, the return of Lois and/or Murphy does feel possible. Namely because Jenna Ortega's Tara mentions she was thinking of pledging Omega Beta Zega at college, which is one of the sororities in Scream 2. Could Tara end up going Delta Lambda Zeta instead, and meet Lois or Murphy at an alumni event? Only time will tell.
Heather Matarazzo as Martha Meeks (Scream 3, Scream 2022)
This Scream legacy character is perhaps the most likely to return out of everyone on this list. Namely because Heather Matarazzo recently reprised her role as Martha Meeks in the 2022 movie. And as such, she's worked with the folks at Radio Silence and would easily be able to slip back into her character.
Martha is the mother of Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin, and the sister of Jamie Kennedy's Randy. She originally appeared in Scream 3, in a small role. And since the twins make up half of the Core Four, it seems more than logical that she could return in a future sequel. Maybe we'll find out who Mindy and Chad's father is in the process.
Actress Heather Matarazzo has had a long career full of iconic roles, so I'm hoping to see Martha get her vey own Ghostface scene sometime in the future. Matarazzo can lean into her horror roots from Hostel: Part II, and finally get to have the spotlight in a Scream scene. I'd like to see her even be an opening kill, perhaps giving Chad and Mindy a reason to return to Woodsboro.
Duane Martin as Joel Jones (Scream 2)
Wes Craven's 1996 original Scream movie introduced the official rules to follow in order to survive a scary movie, iconically introduced by Jamie Kennedy's Randy Meeks. Aside from not having sex or doing drugs, there's a way to guarantee survival that almost no one actually uses: getting TF out of dodge. While Sam and Tara tried to escape Woodsboro in the 2022 sequel, only one character has actually been able to leave early on in a Scream movie. And that honor goes to Scream 2's Joel played by actor Duane Martin.
Duane Martin is prominently featured in the posts and marketing for Scream 2, but ended up having a fairly small role. Originally hired as a last minute cameraman for Gale Weathers, his character Joel eventually reads about the Woodsboro murders when Ghostface starts taking victims at Windsor College. And once he finds out what happened to her last camera man, he smartly flees and is never seen again.
Joel's possible return could have been hinted at in Scream VI through the noticeable use of a camera as a weapon. When Ghostface strikes at the NYC shrine to the previous killers, Mason Gooding's Chad ends up using a camera to attack the killer. The camera itself is presumably from Kenny from the original Scream, but it could be Joel's too. Regardless, this feel like a potential thread to pull from when figuring out what the directors are planning next.
Bonus Round: Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott
Of course, the legacy character that fans are most eager to see return to Scream is its protagonist Sidney Prescott, played to perfection by Neve Campbell in the first five movies. Unfortunately she dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, making that movie the first without Sidney.
While the Core Four are excellent actors who expertly carried the emotional story of Scream VI, I still would love to see Neve Campbell negotiate a new deal and return for any future sequels. Scream actors new and old have all put their support behind Campbell, so it doesn't seem like there's any hard feelings. Let's hope she actually gets to come back for a future faceoff against Ghostface.
Scream VI is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
