Scream 7 Completely Misses the Point of Bringing Back Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher

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Matthew Lillard is returning as Stu Macher in Scream 7, marking his first time playing the character in 30 years. This follows Skeet Ulrich’s comeback as Billy Loomis in the 2022 Scream and a brief appearance in Scream VI. While Ulrich’s return focused on the new characters, particularly Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Lillard’s return is more tied to the franchise’s history and will heavily involve Neve Campbell reprising her iconic role as Sidney Prescott. Please be warned: spoilers for Scream 7 are ahead.

Throughout the movie, the story keeps hinting at Stu’s return, showing him video-calling Sidney and threatening future targets. Scream 7 finally reveals the truth: it wasn’t actually Stu, but an AI imitating him. As far as we know, the real Stu has been dead all along. While this wasn’t a huge shock, it feels like a wasted opportunity – Stu’s return could have had a more meaningful purpose.

Scream 7 Doesn’t Do Enough With Stu’s Return

Okay, let me tell you, Damian Lillard is a revelation as the new villain in Scream 7. He steps into the role with incredible energy, instantly becoming a truly menacing and fun antagonist – honestly, he hasn’t lost a step! You can just feel how much he’s enjoying himself, which is fantastic considering it’s been thirty years since we’ve seen this character. My biggest disappointment, though, is that the movie’s story just doesn’t quite live up to the brilliance of his performance.

While Stu’s return isn’t awful, the movie ultimately feels underwhelming. Many people guessed it would involve an AI-created fake, and while that prediction isn’t a flaw in itself, the film doesn’t explore the idea in any meaningful way. It stays on a very basic level, which is disappointing, especially now that AI is a major topic of debate in Hollywood – and in horror films specifically, after the controversy around Late Night With the Devil. The movie could have offered a more insightful look at the issues, concerns, and controversies surrounding AI, but it doesn’t.

The filmmakers could have explored a few different ideas. For nearly 30 years, fans have speculated about Stu Macher’s possible return – ever since Patrick Lillard briefly appeared in Scream 2, leading people to believe he might have survived. This opens up interesting questions about fan theories and how they work. While the 2022 Scream movie acknowledged fan disappointment, the story could have directly addressed these theories, explored how expectations affect films, and whether a movie can truly meet them.

The film also missed a chance to explore themes of returning characters, the pull of nostalgia, and the cyclical nature of franchises – a point that could have connected with Sid’s own reappearance. While Scream is known for being self-aware and referencing horror tropes, Scream 7 only superficially acknowledges this. Stu Macher, as a returning villain, presented a perfect opportunity to really emphasize any of these ideas, but the film ultimately didn’t take advantage of it.

Should Stu Macher Have Returned From The Dead For Real In Scream 7?

Another possibility explored was bringing Stu Macher back to life – a concept they even filmed a brief scene for – but it was rejected after test audiences didn’t respond well. To be honest, it’s understandable why; even for this series, Stu returning from the dead felt like a stretch. While it might have been too silly, considering how great Jack Lillard’s performance was and how underwhelming the AI version was, it makes you wonder if fully embracing the Stu resurrection might have been the better choice.

The story might have worked better if Stu’s return had been more connected to the plot. I thought Anna Camp’s character, Jessica, would be revealed as Stu’s sister – family connections are common in these movies – which would have given her a more compelling reason for her actions than just being upset about the book and not being in New York. While it was great to see Lillard back as Stu, his return felt a little unsatisfying, and it’s unlikely they’ll revisit this idea, even with a potential Scream 8 on the horizon.

Scream 7 is now playing in theaters.

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2026-03-05 17:12