Obviously, at the end of Scream, Billy Loomis gets shot in the head by Sidney, and he’s 100% dead. However, his co-killer’s fate is a bit more ambiguous. While Stu Macher did get stabbed and a TV dropped on him, I couldn’t help but ponder if he’s actually dead after I re-watched this great horror movie.
So, that query sent me down a rabbit hole about whether Matthew Lillard’s character really died or not that we need to break down.
I Can’t Believe I Didn’t Give Stu's Fate A Second Thought After Watching Scream The First Time
I watched Scream for the first time about a year ago, and my friends and I decided to stream it with a Max subscription this fall seeing as it’s spooky season. This time around, I wasn’t in shock about the film’s twists and turns the whole time, so I actually had the critical thinking skills needed to take in everything with a more analytical eye.
This meant that at the end of the film, I couldn’t help but notice that Stu’s fate was never fully confirmed. You know what they say: in a mystery or a horror movie, if you don’t see the dead body for yourself, there’s always a chance they’re alive.
It’s not really on-brand for a Ghostface killer to return or live through their film, though. However, I know I’d love to see Matthew Lillard’s unhinged character come back, and upon re-watch, I thought it’d be possible.
Little did I know, there’s actually a massive debate and many theories about the fate of Stu that the actor who played him and the screenwriter who wrote him have thoughts about.
Matthew Lillard Thinks Stu Is Still Alive, And There Are Theories Floating Around That He Is
Over the years, there have been a lot of theories and speculation that Stu survived the events of the very first Scream. In fact, the ongoing debate about his fate was even addressed in Scream 6 when Kirby looked at the TV that was smashed on his head, and she brought up his death, to which Mindy said, “If you believe he’s dead.”
There certainly are people who don’t think he died. At one point, per Dialy Beast, there was an idea to bring Stu back as the mastermind behind the cult of killers in Scream 3. Plus, the actor who plays him had a small cameo in Scream 2, where he appeared in the background of a scene. So, some fans believe he survived and has been in hiding for all these years. While far-fetched, I wouldn’t put it past the franchise to do something like this. Plus, Matthew Lillard has fun playing into it all too.
The actor has been asked about returning as Stu many, many times over the years. Recently, he made a bold statement about his character too, by telling Drew Barrymore on her talk show (via Bloody Disgusting) that he “definitely” thinks he is alive, noting that he’d be down to come back if it made sense for the franchise.
He’s held that stance for a long time as well. Back in 2020, the actor humorously took to X to post:
I mean... it was just a TV? Right? You’d think he’d SURVIVE?
Now, my colleague Ryan LaBee is convinced Stu will return as part of the Scream 7 cast. While there are claims that seemingly confirm his death, he wrote that amid the setbacks the sequel has faced, adding another legacy cast member would be a good move. Plus, while speaking to Game Spot about this idea, Lillard joked about returning and then said:
No, I am not in the movie. And even if I was, I would lie directly to your face. Until the day it came out, I would just lie to you.
So, is he lying? Or is Stu really dead? Honestly, it’s hard to say; actors lie about their roles all the time to keep secrets, so anything is possible. However, while I like to believe this iconic character could return, there’s also convincing evidence that he did, in fact, die decades ago.
However, Many, Including Kevin Williamson, Believe Stu Is Dead
Amid all this hubbub and Matthew Lillard playing into the fun theories about his character, Scream’s screenwriter Kevin Williamson put his foot down in 2022. He confirmed that Stu is for sure dead, saying:
No, he’s dead. I think that started because of the college scene, the frat party scene because he’s standing in the background. He just came to visit set that night.
Well, that feels like confirmation to me. Plus, the killer surviving being stabbed and electrocuted by a TV is not exactly helping the "he’s alive" theory. But wait, there’s more proof. According to Game Rant, there’s a “lingering shot” in Scream 6 that shows photos, and it includes one of Stu that says he died in 1996.
Plus, there are a whole bunch of folks on Reddit who are convinced this character is dead, as Ghostface215 passionately wrote:
Everyone who thinks he’s alive also seem to forget that he was bleeding out moments before from the multiple deep stab wounds Billy inflicted on him. He himself even says he feels like he’s dying! He had one last burst of adrenaline, used it to try and take down Sidney, failed and then would’ve died from blood loss regardless of the TV incident.
Not to be a downer, but all this is very logical. It seems more likely that Stu died that night rather than survived. Theories point to everything that went down in the original Scream. Plus, the photo in Scream 6 alludes to the franchise also clarifying that this character is dead.
However…stranger things have happened. Even if he is dead, he could still come back. We all remember the fact that Billy came back as a ghost in 2022's Scream and Scream VI. So, ultimately, whether you believe Matthew Lillard’s character is alive or not, there’s no denying the possibility that he could reprise his role either way.
Personally, after re-watching Scream, and being even more entertained by Lillard’s performance, I hope we see Stu back in this franchise somehow. Plus, it’d be extra exciting if he came back in Scream 7 – which Kevin Williamson is notably directing. However, as the actor said, it needs to be done in a way that serves the franchise well.
Stu went out with a bang back in 1996, so if he comes back it needs to be just as iconic as the original film.
