Summary
After supposedly dying in the firstScreammovie released in 1996,Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) has been a big topic of discussion for several decades. For manyhorrorfans, he’s one of the greatest and most interesting Ghostface killers, and audiences have been waiting for his comeback. Now, with the exciting news that Lillard will appear inScream 7, some fans think Stu lived through Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) hitting him with a TV, and others think there’s no practical way to explain his survival.
While fans know thatScream 7is set in a new small town, no one is surewhat’s going to happen to Stu’s character arc. Audiences are thinking a lot about Lillard’s character, and some are convinced that he didn’t die.One fan theory suggests why Stu could come back toScream 7, and it’s an engaging idea.
Could This Fan Theory Explain Why Stu Macher Is Back In Scream 7?
One Redditorposted that since people have said thatScream 7is going to be gorierand more violent than past installments, this could meanStu Macher is Ghostface in the upcoming sequel. The fan wrote:
“Stu was the one who went all-out with the gore in the original Scream (1996)… took things to that next, totally unhinged level.”
The fan continued,
“Can you even imagine the absolute chaos if he finally steps out of the shadows, after all these years, and says those iconic words: ‘Surprise, Sidney’?”
This fan theory is interesting and unique. While many fans thinkStu could come back as a ghost or in a hopefully compelling flashback, not everyone thinks he’s still alive. If Stu was Ghostface for a second time, it would definitely be shocking, unexpected, and scary. After all, many would argue thatStu was the best Ghostface in the slasher franchisebecause he’s so entertaining. He’s funny without trying to be and seems to live in his own world. As this fan said, Stu killed characters in some gruesome ways. If he came back as Ghostface again, he would likely do the same thing.Several Ghostfaces are motivated by revenge, and this time, Stu would want to get even with Sidney since his best friend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) died.
It’s definitely possible for someScreamfans toargue that Stu died in the first movie. Since Sidney Prescott throws a TV set on him, it’s challenging to say that his chances for survival were high. It’s also true that in the past, whenScreamcharacters have been killed, they have remained dead.
However,Screamisn’t always a completely logical or practical franchise. There are someplot holes that are hard to explain, especially inScream 6.For example, it’s confusing that Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) wouldn’t know about Richie Kirsch’s (Jack Quaid) family. It also seems odd thatGhostface ruined Sidney’s rental car inScream 4in daylight without anyone seeing. If Stu randomly showed up again inScream 7, some fans would say it was unrealistic, and others would be fine with it.
Just like some fans thinkScreamshould only be set in Woodsboro, California, others want Stu to be alive, even if there isn’t a long or detailed explanation. If Stu is theScream 7killer, it would definitely be surprising, andit might be the huge twist that the slasher franchise needs. After all, after six movies, it’s hard to tell a truly unexpected story. But ifScream 7has the same humorous tone that the previous films have, why not bring Stu back, say he’s been alive this entire time, and joke about how everyone thought he was dead? That way, the movie would acknowledge that audiences aren’t so sure that Stu could have it through such a violent ordeal.
What Has The Scream Cast And Crew Said About Stu Macher?
Ever sinceScreamcame out in 1996, fans have been intrigued by the prospect of Stu Macher’s return, and the cast and crew have discussed Matthew Lillard’s character in several interviews. In March 2023, the cast was interviewed byEntertainment TonightandSkeet Ulrich said “I really hope” about Stu coming back. Ulrich said Lillard “is an incredible human being and I know he wants it bad.”
In the same interview,Kevin Williamson, who is directingScream 7,shared his own thoughts about whether Stu’sScreamjourney was truly finished. The filmmaker said:
“I mean, I would say never but I have always been wrong when I do.”
“There’s always that twin brother theory.”
