Bruce Campbell is one of the most recognizable character actors in the business today. He’s been working in films and television, in one way or another, since the 1970s and in that time, he’s starred in everything from the original Spider-Man movies to TV genre fare like Xena: Warrior Princess (he plays Autolycus and it’s even more amazing than you’re imagining). However, his most famous role is likely Ash Williams in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise.
Campbell has been the face of the series for nearly 40 years now, most recently slipping the chainsaw hand back on for the Starz production, Ash vs. Evil Dead. The program got a lot of buzz and was well liked by its core audience, but by the time the third season rolled around, the ratings had plummeted. As such, the premium cable channel decided to axe the revival and ever since then, many fans have been wondering if Ash is ever going to face off against the Deadites again.
In that regard, Campbell has been pretty adamant that he was through waging a war against the Armies of Darkness. And at Comic-Con this past summer, he took the time to reiterate his stance, stating:
The only thing that is consistent is I’m not gonna put the chainsaw back on. It’s done, you know. We don’t wanna get what I call “The Star Wars” factor here. I’m leaning over a walker and it’s painted green for they can remove it from the show. I think you know what I’m talking about. There comes a time, it’s time. Because of Ash Vs. Evil Dead, we put everything on the table. We put everything on. We got—I got nothing to give. It’s all right there.
There’s something to be said for knowing when to hang it up. Campbell is 61 years old now and has spent two-thirds of his life destroying minions spawned from Hell. While it’s disappointing he won’t be back for future installments in the Evil Dead franchise, if anyone’s earned a reprieve, it’s Ash Williams.
