Scream 7 is over a year away with a release date of February 27, 2026, but we need to talk about this movie right now. In less than 24 hours, there were two castings for Scream 7 that are causing quite a stir among fans: Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley. In case those names are not ringing an immediate bell, these guys played Stu Macher (Scream ‘96 Ghostface) and Roman Bridger (Scream 3 Ghostface), respectively.
In every single movie in the Scream franchise, every single Ghostface has died at the end before the credits. So, why is Scream 7 bringing back past Ghostface actors and how could it work in Sidney’s story? (The answer is technically nostalgia, fan service, and drawing back in fans who left for various reasons, but that’s a whole other post.) Let’s get into what it all could mean.
The OG Ghostface Stu Macher’s Appearance in Scream 7 and How He Could Return
First, let me say that it is highly unlikely that any returning cast members will be playing some new character. That’s just plain stupid. No one would look at any Ghostface actor and believe that they are someone else, even if the film sticks them in as “gas station attendant #2” or something to create a very unnecessary Easter egg. So we know that Matthew Lillard will be Stu Macher in Scream 7. The film will hit theaters 30 years after the first film. This is a perfect time for Sidney to begin reflecting on the events that started all the horrors in the first place. There are a few ways that Stu could play into this film.
True Crime Obsessions and AI Deepfakes, Oh My
It is possible that in an era of true crime fascination that the original Woodsboro killings could be getting a TV or social media spotlight. Perhaps there is a new (or existing) crop of people who are obsessed with Billy Loomis and Stu Macher and are making AI/deepfake videos (gross, I know) to make it seem like they are committing crimes again. (This could apply for any Ghostface that Scream 7 tries to resurrect.) They could even use the tech to age them up so the actor’s return makes sense.
That would be a disturbing thing to have in the world, especially if Sidney’s kids see it and she gets wind of it. Something like that could be the spark for a new crop of Ghostfaces to try to recreate what Stu and Billy did 30 years later with Sidney’s daughter. And, with Mindy confirming that the “Stu is alive” theory (more on that in a bit) exists in this universe, that would only give more fuel to the fire for someone to become obsessed with Stu specifically.
Is it a great plot idea? I don’t really think so, but I am not a script writer, y’all. But it would be a way to bring Matthew Lillard back, even if for a weird and brief cameo. This ties him into the events of the movie less directly without going the Billy Ghost route.
Sidney Is Having Hallucinations or Flashbacks of Stu Macher
Another possible way to bring Stu Macher back in Scream 7 (with less commentary on icky tech stuff) would be Sidney having hallucinations or nightmares about him. The last time we saw her in Scream (2022), we didn’t really get to dive into her current emotional state. And again, with the anniversary of the original tragedy back, she could be dealing with some serious things mentally along with new Ghostface terror. An attack, perhaps at her daughter’s school, or someone nearly killing her kid would be more than enough to trigger her.
It would not the first time we’ve seen Sidney hallucinate in the franchise. She kept seeing visions of her deceased mom Maureen in Scream 3. However, for this to really work, you’d kinda need Billy to be a part of it since he was Sid’s actual boyfriend. The same goes for the idea of any flashbacks. Sure, it is possible to use de-aging and such to show Billy, Stu, and Roman together cooking up some mess in a flashback, but that still hinges on Billy being there considering he was the leader between him and Stu.
It is not impossible that Skeet Ulrich could return again but he could pass on this opportunity considering he was in the last two films as a ghost figure guiding Sam.
Wait, Is Stu Actually Alive in the Scream Universe?
For years, many Scream fans have fervently believed that Stu Macher did not die and is actually alive. A large portion of this is fueled by the original script plans for Scream 3, which revealed that Stu was actually alive and orchestrating Ghostface attacks by his young and loyal followers from prison. However, that was scrapped due to the Columbine tragedy in 1999. The studio went with the “Roman is Sid’s vengeful brother” storyline instead.
It is possible that Scream 7 will function as the “concluding chapter of a trilogy” much like Scream 3 where there’s a discovery that completely changes what we thought we knew. Before Spyglass fired Melissa Barerra, I thought that this would be about us discovering something or someone from Sam’s past (particularly the five years she disappeared) who is integral to the events of the previous two movies. Now, that is not the case.
There would be no bigger shocker than to discover that Stu Macher is actually alive 30 years later. Maybe he had previously unknown interactions and connections with other Ghostfaces like Jill, Mickey, Amber, and Richie. It certainly makes sense that the latter two would totally idolize him and be a part of some weird cult who loves him. They did meet on a horror lovers’ message board, after all. It also doesn’t make sense that not a single soul would even allude to being in prison or still alive. That seems pretty hard to cover up and/or ignore since 1996. Someone would have leaked something credible to point to his not-deadness, right?
Personally, I’ve always maintained that Stu is dead for several reasons. First, it is not like his death occurred semi-offscreen like what we saw with Angelina in Scream 3. He was not only stabbed in the stomach multiple times to the point that he was bleeding from his mouth, he also had a very heavy TV drop on his head, which visibly electrocuted him. Despite the Scream world being very unserious a lot, it has always maintained firm roots in our known reality.
The killers are flesh and blood humans, not dream demons like Freddy Kruger or supernatural monsters like whatever Jason and Michael Myers became. A regular person would die from those injuries. Hell, even Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson said that Stu was dead in 2022. Williamson did mention and note Matthew Lillard’s background appearance in Scream 2 at a party, but the actor himself admitted that he was just vibing on set.
Considering Williamson is directing Scream 7, it doesn’t seem he would roll back on that confirmation. The only reason that Stu would be alive is to make many theorists happy and get people into theaters who were planning to boycott the movie after Melissa Barrera’s firing. What better way to amp up interest than having Matthew Lillard return to the franchise? (Honestly, that’s a part of why these castings are happening, if we are being for real.)
We will see which way things go for Stu.
Scream 3’s Ghostface Roman Bridger and How He Could Return in Scream 7
There’s a lot less to examine when it comes to Roman Bridger. First, there’s no debate that he is dead. Like I said previously Dewey shot him in the head. Roman and Sidney also did not have a real connection to each other like she did with Stu, who was a part of her friend group. Sure, she had some empathy for how he was rejected and probably wished they could have grown up together considering she thought she was an only child. But they never even shared the screen together until the third act showdown.
So she may be having nightmares or hallucinations about him and/or her mother. What would life have been like if her mom hadn’t rejected her son years prior? That rejection is what led Roman to start all of this Ghostface mess in the first place. A dream about a life with Roman, Maureen, Stu, etc. could be what plays in her mind, which is then shattered by reality of the past and new Ghostface killings. Or, of course, Roman could just be torturing her in her nightmares as the original anniversary looms.
Another way that Roman could fit into Scream 7 would be through some mystery in his past. We never learned anything about his adoptive family in Scream 3. And, outside of his directing career and relationship with John Milton the horror director, we don’t know anything about his personal life, either. It is very possible that someone in Roman’s life could be keen to finish what he and other Ghostfaces past could not accomplish. They could end up using Roman’s voice to taunt Sidney (which would still be an acting credit, just not with him showing up in person). And, of course, the possibility of the aforementioned deepfake/AI stuff could come into play as “commentary” on today’s tech woes.
Maybe Sidney will find more footage from Roman that details moments of her life along with him talking about it. (This would require de-aging, of course.) Hell, maybe all the Ghostfaces have some weird connection that we didn’t think of before. Mickey as an arts student and creepy filmmaker might have gotten additional influence from Roman Bridger, especially after finding out his connection to Stu and Billy. Jill, Amber, and Richie as Stu cult members. Who knows what the hell is going on here?
Let’s see what happens as we get more information (and possibly more Ghostfaces) in the future.
