The horror genre has witnessed a resurgence as of late, marked by the release of some of the best horror movies of all time and the return of some of the best horror franchises to the big screen. Among them is Wes Craven's seminal work, Scream. This revival has sparked a renewed interest in the storied slasher series, with recent entries blending Scream legacy characters with some wonderful fresh faces. Amidst this resurgence, fans are increasingly clamoring for the reappearance of Stu Macher, a character ostensibly killed off in the series' debut. Now, Matthew Lillard, the actor who iconically played Stu, has shared thoughts on possibly returning.
So many have seemingly asked for Stu to be revived in some way. Even fellow franchise legend Skeet Ulrich recently expressed his eagerness to see one of the most iconic Ghostface killers return. In a recent interview with FearHQ, Matthew Lillard discussed possibly reprising his role as the iconic slasher. Despite playing a villainous character, the Scooby-Doo veteran actor’s character has earned him a devoted fan following. When asked about a potential return, he said:
I don’t know. Listen, this town in this day and age, and at my age, I’ve had a great career. I’ve come around second base, and I’m heading for home. That’s a baseball analogy. We’re in stoppage time is a good football analogy in the UK. It’s something that I’m super proud of. I’m glad it’s in my life and my repertoire. I’m glad it’s part of my history and lineage.
So it does indeed sound like he appreciates the love he still receives for his connection to the franchise, though there seems to be a level of uncertainty about actually returning. In discussing the potential for reprising his role, Matthew Lillard emphasized one condition that would have to be present. And he also spoke about his enthusiasm for moving forward with his career rather than revisiting the past:
It would have to make a lot of sense to go back as a story and as filmmakers. I’m really thrilled to be involved with Five Nights at Freddy’s which has been a huge success and been a third franchise in my career, which I didn’t expect. I’m more excited about the upside and future of that than going back to doing something I’ve done before.
His enthusiasm for his recent work, including his involvement in the successful Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, showcases his forward-looking perspective on his career. Yet, he leaves the door open to the possibility of returning to Scream, albeit with a hint of skepticism regarding the interest of the franchise's decision-makers. The actor added:
All that said, we’ll see what happens. Nobody has called me [Laughs]. I’ll tell you that much. No one seems that interested in the return of Stu except for the fans. The fans are freaking out and love the idea, and I would argue that if you throw a TV on my head, I’ll survive. So, there you go!
Well, there you go! It would seem the Good Girls alum hasn’t hung up the phone on a potential return to the series, which isn’t as crazy as it sounds. The chatter online was loud enough that Scream VI referred to a fan theory that Stu was alive after seemingly being killed by Sidney in the 1996 original movie. With the seventh movie facing challenges such as Melissa Barrera's firing, Jenna Ortega leaving the project, and the new director Christopher Landon following suit, the producers might be willing to take drastic measures to keep the franchise going.
We will be the first to tell you if there are any updates on Matthew Lillard's return to the series. Until then, you can stream the Scream franchise with a Paramount+ subscription. And give the 2024 movie schedule a gander to plan your next cinema experience.
