How Matthew Lillard's Stu Macher Could Return For Scream 7

Part of the magic of the original "Scream" is that there was no way to know who the killer was. As good as the movie is as a slasher mystery-thriller, the answer was unpredictable, which makes the eventual reveal that there was not one but two killers so good. Skeet Ulrich's Billy Loomis is a great villain on his own, seeing as he not only killed a woman when he was a kid but also went on to date that woman's daughter. What really makes the movie's killer duo great, however, is Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard).

Billy being a murderer makes sense. But Stu? Lillard not only portrays Stu as being fun and charismatic, but he also seems like too much of a class clown to have actually planned any of this out. That Stu's girlfriend Tatum (Rose McGowan) is among the dead makes this reveal all the more shocking since we don't know whether Stu agreed to let Billy kill her or, even worse, did so himself. He is equal parts over the top funny and scary as hell, a guy with seemingly no logical motive whatsoever.

The fact that we technically don't see Stu's final breath leave his body in "Scream" has given life to countless theories over the years that Stu may actually be alive. Given how much the recent reboot/legacy sequel "Scream" movies have relied on bringing back old characters, many were expecting Stu to make an appearance in "Scream VI." Even if that didn't happen, it seems fans may not have to wait that long for to find out whether Stu is alive for real, what with Deadline reporting that Lillard will return for the upcoming "Scream 7."

Stu Macher is one of the best characters in the entire "Scream" franchise and certainly one of the best Ghostface killers, so his return is very much welcome. That being said, how, exactly, is this supposed to happen? Well, there are two possibilities — either Stu is very much alive or he is properly dead and his appearance isn't exactly real.

Let's consider the former first. If Stu survived having a TV dropped on his head, he would've surely gone to prison, right? It's hard to imagine "Scream" heroine Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) going on about her life after that horrible ordeal if she knew one of the two killers was still alive and running around free in the world. Perhaps "Scream 7" will have him escape from prison, either on his own or with the help of a new Ghostface. Alternatively, sine this franchise is all about commenting on pop culture trends, perhaps a new true crime documentary about the original Ghostface murders has been produced and it somehow leads to Stu being freed due to some alleged incompetence by the cops or a wave of protests by fans. It would be tragic, sure, but it would also feel right for Stu to be liberated due to something as absurd as that.

This leaves us with the second option — Stu is dead. That hasn't stopped "Scream" characters from returning in the past, of course. Most notably, Billy's daughter Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) has visions of him being alive in "Scream" (2022) and "Scream VI," and it was recently announced that Scott Foley is returning for "Scream 7" to reprise his role as Roman Bridger. Roman died after trying to kill Sidney back in "Scream 3," which means his return will likely involve either flashbacks or visions like the ones Sam had of Billy. The question is, who will have the visions? Will it be Sidney? And if not, who else would have a strong enough connection to Roman to have a vision of him?

All shall be revealed when "Scream 7" hits theaters on February 27, 2026.