Scream Star Breaks Silence About Shocking Return in New Movie, Calling it a “Gamble”

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Matthew Lillard has been increasingly visible lately. While he was a popular actor in the 1990s, he spent much of the following decades primarily known for playing Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo movies and animated series. More recently, starting in the late 2010s and continuing into the 2020s, Lillard has reappeared in a variety of shows and projects, including the Twin Peaks revival and guest appearances on shows like Supernatural, FBI, Critical Role, Good Girls, Robot Chicken, and Billions.

Damian Lillard is revisiting his roots in the horror genre. He first gained recognition starring in the video game adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s, and now he’s joining the cast of the new Scream 7 film. Fans are eager to find out exactly how his character will fit into the story.

Matthew Lillard played Stu Macher, one of the killers in the original Scream movie from 1996, alongside Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis. Their characters, as Ghostface, cleverly misled both the detectives in the film and the audience, helping to establish Scream as a clever and self-aware take on horror. However, Stu seemingly died at the end of the first movie – Sidney Prescott famously dropped a TV on his head! This raises the question: how will Lillard return for Scream 7, and what role will he play?

Matthew Lillard is keeping all the secrets about Scream 7 under wraps, refusing to share any details with even his family. He told EW that he hasn’t told his wife or kids anything, because one of the best parts of the Scream movies is experiencing the twists and turns alongside the audience in the theater. He doesn’t want to spoil that for anyone.

Matthew Lillard has always been very open about wanting to reprise his role in the Scream movies. His hopes were momentarily dampened when Kevin Williamson, who wrote and now directs the films, hinted that Scream 7 might not need returning characters like Stu. However, that turned out to be a ruse – Williamson had actually contacted Lillard about coming back. Lillard explained he would have been happy to return in any capacity, adding that his eagerness stemmed from years of actively campaigning for the opportunity.

How Stu Macher May Be Returning In Scream 7 (Theory)

Fans are speculating about how Stu Macher might reappear in Scream 7. His former co-star, Skeet Ulrich, already returned as a ghostly version of Billy Loomis in the last two films, communicating with his daughter, Sam. This opens up possibilities for Stu’s return – perhaps he wasn’t truly dead, or maybe the filmmakers have something even more surprising planned.

The Scream movies are known for being self-aware and playing with the horror genre, even featuring a movie-within-a-movie series called ‘Stab’ which retells the events of the original films. There’s a possibility Matthew Lillard could return as Stu Macher, perhaps in a very clever way – playing himself as Stu in a new ‘Stab’ sequel. This could also explain how other past cast members, like Scott Foley and even the late David Arquette’s character, are appearing in the newer films.

Matthew Lillard admits returning to the role was a risk. He was worried the new movie might not be well-received, and he feared disappointing fans or damaging the character’s legacy. He says the decision came with a lot of anxiety and insecurity, and he wouldn’t have done it if he thought it would negatively impact how people remembered the original. He describes it as a ‘gamble’ with the franchise’s history.

The next Scream movie, Scream 7, is coming out on February 27th! Join the conversation about horror movies in 2026 on the ComicBook Forum.

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2026-01-28 21:10