Scream 7 Might Bring Back the Series’ Best Killer

Scream is one of my favorite horror franchises, and even after six entries and a television show many have forgotten about, I still find myself excited for the next movie. One of the most exciting aspects of Scream 7 is that Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher is making his unlikely return. Now, how exactly that is happening, no one is sure, as the next entry in the meta horror series is bringing back several dead characters, including David Arquette’s Dewey. However, it’s definitely exciting and an important distinction since when it comes to horror icons, it feels like Ghostface is at a slight disadvantage.

Ghostface doesn’t have some of the identity, quirks, or personality of, say, a Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, because these less-supernatural baddies are constantly dying after one run under the hood. Our antagonist does have a few personalized traits, small mannerisms that help him stand out, such as the voice, but it’s hard to feel like many of the psychopaths who don the mask get to have their own legacy. There are a couple of Ghostface killers I can think of that left it all out there for the franchise, however, who spilled their blood, guts, and glory.

Fans are pumped to see that Scream 7 might be bringing back Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher

Stu Macher is one of my favorite characters in the Scream films, and although it sounds like a bad idea at first, I’m in that group of fans who’d be excited to see him come back. The explanations need to be good; nothing too cheesy is going to fly, but having one of the greats return as a cameo or mastermind could honestly be huge, depending on how it’s handled. Other than Billy Loomis, Stuart may be the most memorable stalker in the series. It’s not just because he was one of the first, as much as the impression he left and what he offers on a rewatch. 

The studio has known this for a while, as Mathew Lillard had a brief cameo as a random party-goer in Scream 2, and there were talks of him appearing in the third movie. Scream 3 isn’t good, and most people don’t like to talk about it, but depending on who we believe, it almost involved the return of Stu Macher, who would have been orchestrating other killers from prison. It couldn’t have been worse than what we got. Lillard himself commented on this, and whether or not Stu would have somehow survived or it’d have just been a clever voice cameo, it was clear people were aware of what he meant to the series and why he’s going to be a key part of Scream 7.

What made Stu Macher our favorite killer

The first Scream movie is fantastic, and I can watch it at almost any time without it feeling stale for multiple reasons, but one of those is absolutely Matthew Lillard’s performance. I love our first meeting with Stu where we find out he’s dating Tatum (and used to date one of the other victims, Casey), one of our future slain teens, and he plays coy about the questions the police asked, where the two killers riff on each other about accusations, almost as if they’re making a game out of hiding in plain sight, before answering Sidney Prescott’s question about how to gut someone. He comes off as somewhat sexist, even correctly pointing out that Ghostface must be male, only to show us later that he likes the domineering side of the act, often forcing himself on top, attempting to choke his female prey. It’s light, though, and he makes the audience laugh, so we think he’ll come around in the end. Later in the halls of the school, he plays dumb after his social faux pas, knowing he’s actually upsetting our heroine and throwing her off, reveling in the chaos he and his buddy are causing.

One of my favorite scenes is in the video store where Stu defends Billy while pointing a stronger finger at Sid’s dad, and he’ll do it later to Randy as well. He’s perfecting his deflection while also being incredibly expressive, sticking his tongue out, and leaning on Randy while Billy intimidates him. He’s the more energetic and charismatic part of this pair, the loose cannon who almost says too much in some scenes, but he doesn’t want to get caught just yet, as we know, Stu was already planning for a sequel. 

Thankfully, his usual demeanor allows him to say some more unhinged shit while still seeming normal. During the party scene, which is a setup for the grand final act and those big kills, Stu is wearing a smoking jacket, bucking against the rules of the horror tropes (“I’ll be right back!”) because why wouldn’t the killer think he’s safe, and moving pieces into place, such as telling Sid and Billy to go up to his parents room so they can have sex. When he attacks her later, Stu is on his home turf. He knows the house and cuts his potential prey off expertly.

Stu claims he doesn’t have a strong motivation, even seeming somewhat surprised and intrigued when he hears Billy’s real reason for targeting Sidney. He claims it’s “peer pressure” as a humorous retort, but it seems more like he just enjoys being a psychopath. He’s in it for the fun, which makes sense that his injuries and death are played a little more for comedic relief at the end. Still, Stu manages to be memorable. He’s a joker, twice as lethal, and leaves that lasting impression. It makes sense that he sticks in the minds of fans going into Scream 7.

Why it makes sense to bring Stu back to the series

Stu is a killer who shines a little brighter than so many of the others, with a sadistic smile that is begging for another chance to be seen. Since we’ve already brought Billy back in another form, maybe a “real” version of Stu is the better answer in Scream 7. It’ll likely be a hologram, AI, deep fakes, or simply a voice mask for the new Ghostface to use, something closer to that, but his involvement is what’s important.

The legacy of Stu Macher is quite secure. However, adding to it can only help strengthen the franchise overall and increase his legacy. More established personalities under the mask may help Scream if it’s going to continue for years to come after Scream 7. Anyone can put on the costume, but it’s a little scarier when we know the person is experienced, has been the slasher before, and is as good as Stu Macher once was.

Source: Comingsoon.net