It’s common in Scream movies for many characters to only appear once – they’re quickly eliminated. For a long time, Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley were the only main characters consistently protected from being killed off. More recently, the Carpenter sisters and the Meeks-Martin twins also became recurring survivors. But there are others who have lived, and with Scream 7 being successful, fans are wondering who might return in Scream 8. Let’s take a look at all the surviving characters and assess how likely they are to reappear.
We’ve left out some smaller characters from previous films, such as Lois from Scream 2 (played by Rebecca Gayheart) and Murphy (Portia de Rossi), as well as George Willis (Tim Simons) and Robbie Rivers (Mark Consuelos) from Scream 7. While they appear, there’s nothing to suggest they’ll return in future installments. Also, with Joel McHale appearing in Scream 7, it seems Patrick Dempsey’s character, Mark Kincaid, won’t be coming back either.
Spoilers for Scream 7 follow.
8) Sam & Tara Carpenter
We’ve seen actors like Neve Campbell take a break from a series and then return, but there’s a big difference between leaving over money and being fired, then coming back. Especially when the firing felt like an extreme reaction to begin with, a return makes a much bigger splash.
Despite Melissa Barrera’s departure, the opening weekend for Scream 7 wasn’t affected financially, but many people were still upset by the firing. It’s safe to say Barrera wasn’t happy about it either, and likely neither is Jenna Ortega. Both actresses are doing well in their careers even after leaving the Scream franchise.
Their characters’ stories also seem to have reached a natural conclusion. The final scene in Scream VI shows Sam and Tara turning their backs on the Ghostface mask and the violence it represents, effectively ending their arc. Bringing them back wouldn’t make much sense, especially now that the series has proven it can succeed by focusing on its core elements.
This also appears to be the end of Danny Brackett’s story. Since Sam’s return seems unlikely, it’s reasonable to assume Danny won’t be back either, and even if Barrera had stayed, his return wasn’t guaranteed.
Likelihood: 5%
7) Martha Meeks
Although Randy Meeks tragically died in Scream 2, the Scream movies haven’t forgotten about him. Before Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin appeared, the franchise had already introduced Randy’s sister and their mother, Martha.
Martha first showed Sidney, Gale, and Dewey a clip of Randy in Scream 3. It was a fantastic cameo, both for Randy’s character and for Martha herself, and Heather Matarazzo was perfectly cast in the role. She then made a welcome return in Scream (2022), though that may have been her last appearance. While her children might reappear in future films, it’s more probable they’ll be featured rather than her. However, a brief appearance, like a phone call, isn’t out of the question.
Likelihood: 15%
6) Kirby Reed
While Scream 4 and Scream VI might not be the strongest entries in the Scream series, Kirby Reed stands out as a highlight. Hayden Panettiere perfectly captured the spirit of her character when she first faced Ghostface, making it particularly shocking and upsetting when she was attacked.
When a character seemed truly gone – not just temporarily injured like Dewey or Chad – the return of Gale Weathers in Scream VI was a pleasant surprise for fans. After taking a break from acting, it was wonderful to see her back, and many are hoping she’ll appear in another film. While it’s not guaranteed, her return would be fantastic.
Likelihood: 20%
5) Chad & Mindy Meeks-Martin
As we discussed earlier, the characters who are now protected from harm – like Sidney, Gale, and Dewey used to be – are Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin. Honestly, Chad should have died several times over by now.
Luckily, the characters survive Scream 7 with relatively minor injuries, which means they could return for Scream 8. That’s a good thing, as Scream 7 found some effective ways to use them, even with the change in directors. Their connection to Gale Weathers provides a solid foundation for future storylines. While their return isn’t guaranteed, they’ve become established legacy characters, and it would feel incomplete if they weren’t included in future installments after appearing in the latest film.
Likelihood: 85%
4) Mark Evans
It briefly seemed like Sidney’s husband, Mark Evans, was going to die in Scream 7. However, he surprisingly survives, even shocking the Ghostface killers themselves.
Joel McHale seamlessly fit into the Scream universe, giving a convincingly serious performance. With Sidney returning for the next film, it’s likely he’ll be back as well, considering his role as a local police officer makes it improbable he’d be away.
Likelihood: 85%
3) Tatum Evans
Isabel May’s character, Tatum, is almost guaranteed to be back in Scream 8, even more so than Mark. While Scream 7 didn’t completely make Tatum a central character like Sidney, it definitely moved her in that direction. Considering Scream 7 began developing her storyline, it’s very unlikely she’ll be left out of the next film.
Despite all of this, there’s still a possibility she might miss out on the excitement. Scream 2 did send Sidney away to college, and Tatum is almost old enough for college herself. But it’s more likely that Ghostface will follow her to campus, rather than her returning to Pine Grove while Ghostface continues to terrorize her mother.
Likelihood: 95%
2) Gale Weathers
Let’s talk about Gale Weathers – she’s a core character, and even when Sidney Prescott didn’t appear in Scream VI, Gale was right there. I actually think some of her strongest moments happened in that movie, especially because it was the first time she ever got a call from Ghostface herself!
It’s highly likely Courteney Cox will return for Scream 8. After the success of Scream 7 and its demonstration of continued audience interest, it would be surprising if she weren’t involved, especially given the franchise’s focus on nostalgia. Losing one of the last remaining original characters seems unlikely. Plus, a highlight of Scream 7 was seeing Gale and Sidney team up to solve the mystery, and that dynamic will probably continue in the next film.
Likelihood: 100%
1) Sidney Prescott
In Scream 7, Jessica Bowden had two main goals: to establish Tatum as the new final girl and to bring Sidney Prescott out of retirement. While she definitely achieved the latter – Neve Campbell’s return is a major reason the film is performing well in theaters, especially after the lower attendance for Scream 4 – it’s unlikely Tatum has fully taken over the “final girl” role. Sid remains the iconic final girl of the Scream franchise, and Tatum will likely be a returning character, but not the definitive one.
Even if Scream 7’s performance drops from here, it will likely still be considered a hit. It’s already earned almost $100 million globally in just three days, and early audience reactions have been positive. A sequel, Scream 8, is planned, and the character Sid will again be central to the story.
Likelihood: 100%
Who would you want to see appear in Scream 8? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!
https://comicbook.com/movies/list/every-scream-movie-ranked-including-scream-7/embed/#
Read More
- Where Winds Meet: How To Defeat Shadow Puppeteer (Boss Guide)
- Survivor’s Colby Donaldson Admits He Almost Backed Out of Season 50
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Best Thanos Comics (September 2025)
- Best Controller Settings for ARC Raiders
- Resident Evil Requiem cast: Full list of voice actors
- Best Shazam Comics (Updated: September 2025)
- The 10 Best Episodes Of Star Trek: Enterprise
- How to Build a Waterfall in Enshrouded
- Stardew Valley Fans Have a Pretty Important Question About One of the New Marriage Candidates
2026-03-05 21:43