With the new cast of Scream out, the next film is shaping up to be a reunion of generation’s past. It’s been confirmed that Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and Patrick Dempsey will return for the upcoming sequel. However, there’s also been whispers that Matthew Lillard could end up returning as well. Not in the same way that Skeet Ulrich played an important role in Scream (5) and Scream VI; it’s quite possible that Stu Macher could be alive after all.
Now this nothing more than just a rumor. Though Matthew Lillard has stated that he would be up for returning the long-running franchise, Kevin Williamson has pretty much confirmed that Stu Macher is dead. With executives in panic mode after the Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega disaster, it wouldn’t be a surprising move if they came up with some convoluted reason to bring him back. After all, Kirby was considered dead before making a surprise return in Scream VI. Hopefully, Stu Macher remains dead as it would be a terrible idea if he returned to the series.
Stu Macher Was Great In The Original Scream
Scream has an amazing cast of diverse characters. Matthew Lillard was simply perfect as the eccentric high school who always seemed one incident away from killing someone. Stu wasn’t as obvious as Cotton Weary or Billy Loomis, but his character had an element of unpredictability that made him a strong case for one of the Ghostface killers. However, as great as Stu was in Scream, he’s dead. This isn’t a trick that the writers can pull over the audience’s eyes.
Despite being 34-years, it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t seen the first film. Scream remains popular film in modern culture because the themes that the film presented still hold up well. Everyone saw Sidney throw a television on Stu’s head. This isn’t a Kirby situation where he death wasn’t showcased onscreen. Stu was fried and shown as dead in front of our very eyes, and it would be disappointing if the new writers trying to recon Stu Macher’s death.
Why Bringing Back Stu Macher Would Be Damaging To The Series
The writers were able to get away with bringing back Kirby because her “death” scene could’ve been passed off a non-threatening life injury. Bringing Stu sends off the message that deaths don’t particularly matter in the world of Scream. It’s bad enough that Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers both feel invincible at this point, but reversing such a major moment will the fans investment into the series. Scream is a horror film. Sure, there’s plenty of juicy satire, but for the most part, the deaths in this series are presented as REAL.
If you take that element away then the mysteries become meaningless. Audiences won’t be invested into the characters because deaths in the world of Scream are no longer permanent. Given how hesitant Scream VI was on killing off the main cast (Chad and Mindy should be dead), the suspension of disbelief would be broken if Stu Macher made a miraculous return to the series.
It’s Okay For Stories To End
This is perhaps the biggest issue for the franchise these days. Sidney Prescott’s story ended in Scream 3, yet she’s leading the charge of Scream 7 once again. Her past two appearances in the reboot have felt meaningless because she didn’t have a defined purpose. Sidney Prescott just felt there for reasons because the studio thought that she was needed in order for the series to survive. The problem is that the Ghostface angle has gotten pretty stale at this point.
Even Gale and Dewey had the perfect ending in Scream 3. A big reason that audiences invest their time and money into films is to watch a character grow. People hold Avengers: Endgame in such a high regard because of the powerful storytelling that was told throughout the span of ten years. Had Infinity War and Endgame came out as the first two Avengers movies then it wouldn’t have the emotional impact that it does now. It’s simply okay for stories to end. Not every character needs to have a happy ending. Stu Macher is dead and there’s no believable reason that convince audiences otherwise. Let him rest in peace, so the franchise can find new stories to tell that freshen up the series. Bringing him back just feels like a blatant cash cow.
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