Stu Macher is Coming Back to the Scream Franchise

“I’ll be right baaaack..”

 After nearly three decades of fan theories and online speculation, Matthew Lillard is making a shocking return to the Scream franchise, reprising his beloved role of Stu Macher.

While Lillard is also known for his recent role in the Five Nights at Freddy’s live adaptation and the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie, his portrayal of the iconic role in the original Scream movie alongside Skeet Ulrich’s Billy Loomis cemented him as a fan favorite in the franchise. 

While the plot of the new slasher sequel remains a mystery, one burning question has taken over fan discussions: Is Stu Macher really alive? He might appear as a flashback, or a hallucination, like Billy Loomis did in recent installments. In the first movie, Macher seemingly died when main character Sidney Prescott slammed a TV onto his head. However, because he is never seen again, his uncertain death scene in the original movie has many scream-enthusiasts questioning if he really is gone for good. 

Adding to the excitement, Scream 7 will also feature the return of Scott Foley, who played Roman Bridger, the solo Ghostface in the third movie, and Neve Campbell who plays Sidney Prescott. 

Although Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega will not be reprising their roles as the Carpenter sisters, fans are eager to see the return of the well-loved legacy characters, and one final movie to likely wrap up the franchise. 

Scream 7 slashes into theaters on February 27, 2026.