Will Matthew Lillard return for ‘Scream 7?’

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Scream VI.

The long-awaited slasher brilliance that is Scream VI is currently erupting in theater. Eagle-eyed viewers continue to point out specific Easter eggs that may offer insight into future chapters of the ever-popular horror franchise. Much like the scope of other Easter eggs, these clues are sprinkled throughout the movie as a way to captivate the audience and keep them coming back for more movies — which fan-favorite character Mindy Meeks-Martin explicitly stated during her “we’re in a franchise now” rant in the sixth film.

Looking closely at the movie, several of these allusions shined the proverbial spotlight on past characters in the franchise — namely, Billy Loomis, Jill Roberts, and Stu Macher. Two of those names were memorable characters from Wes Craven’s 1996 original, with Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) being revealed as the OG Ghostface killers.

The return of Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) and a second cameo from Skeet after his appearance in 2022’s Scream has thoroughly entertained thrill-seeking viewers. However, Lillard’s name has since been continuously passed around in hopes of the franchise veteran making a highly anticipated return.

Will Lillard return for Scream 7?

At the time of this writing, it has yet to be confirmed or denied if Lillard will make his long-awaited return to the beloved franchise. He last appeared in the film series in the ’96 original as Stu, where he was “killed” by Sidney Prescott after she dropped a television set directly on his head. Prior to that, Stu had been stabbed repeatedly by partner-in-crime Billy as an attempt to pose as victims who were attacked when the police arrived.

In the third act of Scream VI, Kirby Reed and Sam Carpenter share a moment where they discussed potential killers donning the Ghostface persona this time around. Kirby brought up the online conspiracy theory that Stu actually survived and has been in hiding ever since. Seeing as the Scream movies have long honored the tradition of “they’re not really dead until you actually see them die,” it’s worth a second thought to wonder if he is still out there, waiting for the right time to return.

Of course, the possibility of Macher returning for Scream 7 is nothing short of pure speculation at this point in time. Still, considering how Lillard himself once confirmed that Stu was set to return in Scream 3, perhaps we’ll soon get what we’ve been asking for all along. Until then, horror fanatics should adhere to the ever-present meta humor and terror by catching Scream VI in theaters now.