Despite promising to never again play the live-action role of Ash Williams, Bruce Campbell has assured fans that the Evil Dead franchise will still go on. The sixty-year-old actor officially retired as onscreen Ash after the cancellation of Ash vs. Evil Dead in 2018, leading many to fear that the franchise may have finally hit a dead end. Campbell, however, promises that this isn’t the case.
“[Fans are] going to see different versions, they’re going to be seeing more Evil Dead, too,” he says. “We’re not done with the Evil Dead saga. More stories to tell.”
This is a huge sigh of relief for Evil Dead devotees. Though the character may not be the same without the original star, it’s possible that future films could see an entirely new actor take on the demon slayer. Campbell has already approved the idea of Ash Williams continuing on with a different face and a revamped cast could be just the spark the franchise needs to endear itself to the new generation.
Don’t count on the fan favorite to completely bow out of the role, though. Campbell promises that even though he won’t be seen onscreen as Ash anymore, he’ll certainly still lend to his voice to the role when needed.
“I’m still doing video games… I’m doing voices for Ash,” he says. “I’m just not going to grovel in the blood anymore.”
As you surely know, the violent protagonist has a long history kicking butt in video games, most recently in Mortal Kombat 11 and Dead by Daylight.
While the grisly supernatural films may continue without him, Campbell has a new gig of his own lined up. He’ll take over as the new host of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, detailing scenarios so insane that they may as well be a part of the franchise that made him famous.
It’s undoubtedly sad that the actor is moving on from a series he’s been a part of for almost four decades, but the good news is that both Campbell and the Evil Dead franchise will still go on without each other. Fans can only hope that the next Ash Williams, whoever he may be, lives up to the lofty expectations set by his predecessor.