Scream 7 is set to feature many returning characters from prior movies, with some already confirmed for a role. The story of Scream 7 is being kept under wraps given that the film is not expected to release until 2026, but many are excited about a return to the popular horror franchise. Although the third and fourth installments received mixed reviews, the soft reboots of Scream V and Scream VI in 2022 and 2023 respectively were classed as some of the better-ranked Scream movies to date.

As such, the anticipation of another installment is rising, despite some casting changes. In 2023, it was reported that the stars of Scream V and Scream VI – Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera – would not be returning for the seventh film. Barrera did not return due to being fired after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Ortega citing scheduling conflicts for the upcoming Wednesday season 2, though the latter has expressed her support for the former. Regardless of these changes, several other characters have been confirmed for Scream 7 who have appeared in other installments in the long-running franchise.

7

Sidney Prescott

Played By Neve Campbell

The first returning character for Scream 7 is Sidney Prescott. Sidney has been a mainstay in the franchise since the first installment in 1996, yet is one of the few who was absent from Scream VI. This came as a result of a pay dispute between actress Neve Campbell and the studio that produces the Scream movies, though this issue seems to have been resolved. Campbell’s return as Prescott was confirmed by the actress herself in March 2024, marking the sixth appearance of the character in the series.

Campbell’s Sidney Prescott has long been deemed the main character of the Scream franchise. She appeared in the original trilogy, fending off the multiple versions of Scream‘s iconic Ghostface killer that targeted her and, in many ways, were directly linked to her. Her absence from Scream VI was explained by another returning character, with Sidney said to be living in hiding with her family amid new Ghostface killings. Evidently, Sidney did not remain in hiding due to her appearance in the upcoming Scream 7.

6

Gale Weathers

Played By Courteney Cox

Another prominent character in the Scream series is Gale Weathers. Unlike Sidney, Gale has appeared in all six Scream movies and is expected to return in Scream 7, once again played by Courteney Cox. Cox’s return as Gale was confirmed in December 2024, with the actress expressing her excitement over the story and the direction of Kevin Williamson, the writer of the first two and fourth Scream movies, who is behind the camera for the first time.

In the original trilogy of Scream movies, Gale was shown as a fame-seeking reporter, tied to the Prescott family due to her investigation of the murder of Sidney’s mother. Via her connection to Sidney, Gale became intertwined with the many Ghostface killings that took place in Woodsboro over the decades. Scream V saw Gale return to Woodsboro out of concern for her ex-husband, Dewey, with Scream VI‘s New York setting seeing her help the Carpenter twins with a new Ghostface killer. Thanks to Cox’s return in Scream 7, Gale will continue her 100% record in the franchise.

5

Chad Meeks-Martin

Played By Mason Gooding

A more recent debutant in the Scream franchise set to return for Scream 7 is Chad Meeks-Martin. Chad first appeared in 2022’s Scream V as a new character, played by Mason Gooding. Chad was a member of the football team of Woodsboro High and the nephew of a character from the original Scream movies, Randy Meeks. Chad opposes the Ghostface killers in Scream before becoming a more prominent part of Scream VI, in which he and Ortega’s Tara become a couple.

Interestingly, Chad will be part of Scream 7 without the Carpenters, who drew him into the story of Scream V and Scream VI. Gooding’s return was confirmed shortly before Cox’s, hinting that he may have just as big a role as Cox and Campbell in the upcoming film. Given what Chad has been through alongside Gale and Sidney in Scream V and Scream VI, this certainly makes sense, priming him to be an important part of Scream 7‘s story as he goes up against more killers hellbent on causing Ghostface havoc.

4

Mindy Meeks-Martin

Played By Jasmin Savoy Brown

Alongside Chad’s return in Scream 7 is that of his twin sister, Mindy Meeks-Martin. Like Chad, Mindy is the niece of legacy Scream character Randy Meeks and was integral to the stories of Scream V and Scream VI. Like Randy before her, Mindy serves as the self-referential character in her respective Scream movies. Mindy often outlines the tropes and conventions of horror movies like the fictional Stab, continuing a trend of the meta Scream franchise. In Scream 7, which is turning out to be a riff on legacy crossover sequels, Mindy will have a lot of tropes to cover.

As with Chad, it will be interesting to see what role Mindy plays in the film in the absence of Ortega and Barrera as Tara and Sam Carpenter. Mindy was shown to be a close friend to Tara and could provide an in-universe explanation for the character’s absence, just as Chad could due to their relationship in Scream V. Jasmin Savoy Brown’s return as Mindy was confirmed in January 2025, as were many other returning characters long thought ᴅᴇᴀᴅ from prior Scream installments.

3

Roman Bridger

Played By Scott Foley

Perhaps the biggest surprise regarding returning characters for Scream 7 is Roman Bridger. Roman first appeared in Scream 3 as the in-universe director of Stab 3, eventually being revealed as that film’s Ghostface killer. Roman is the Ghostface with the highest kill count in the Scream franchise, fueled by his unexpected birth as the half-brother of Sidney Prescott. Sidney’s mother, Maureen, was revealed to have been Sєxually ᴀssaulted during her time as an actress, leading to Roman’s birth and his need for a family.

In Scream 3, Roman is revealed as the orchestrator of the original Woodsboro killings after showing Billy Loomis video footage of Maureen Prescott with Billy’s father. This stemmed from Maureen’s rejection of Roman, as well as Roman’s jealousy of Sidney’s fame after the Ghostface attacks of the previous two movies. How Roman will return in Scream 7 is unclear, given that the character was seemingly sH๏τ in the head by David Arquette’s Dewey Riley at the end of Scream 3. Be it a flashback, hallucinations, an elaborate fake death, or another meta reveal, Roman will return in Scream 7.

2

Stu Macher

Played By Matthew Lillard

Just like Roman Bridger’s return, Scream 7‘s inclusion of Stu Macher is a headscratcher, albeit an incredibly exciting one. Stu Macher, played by Matthew Lillard, was one of the two original Ghostface killers alongside Billy Loomis in the first Scream movie. Since then, Stu has become an iconic character in the franchise, primarily due to Lillard’s performance. After admitting his horror-fanatic motive that he was simply killing for fun, Stu Macher was seemingly killed by Sidney Prescott after being stabbed by his ally, Billy, and having a TV unit dropped on his head, apparently electrocuting him.

Nonetheless, Stu Macher is returning for Scream 7. This was confirmed in January 2025 by various reports, as well as by Lillard himself. After a string of horror performances in Five Nights at Freddy’s and his return in the 2025 sequel, the actor took to social media to post a cryptic message that Scream fans will recognize. In the post, a hand is shown writing down the words “My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me,” one of Stu’s iconic lines from the original movie​​​​​​, said after Sidney tells him she has called the police.

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Like Roman Bridger, it is unclear exactly how Stu will return in Scream 7. As alluded to, the character was thought to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, though surviving the TV and stab wounds he received is admittedly easier to explain than Roman’s headsH๏τ. This could mean that Stu returns as an alive-and-well person, rather than a potential flashback or hallucination like Roman. Regardless, the return of Stu marks another major character involvement for Scream 7, making the film a true legacy sequel.

1

Ghostface

Voiced By Roger L. Jackson

The final returning character for Scream 7 that is worth mentioning is Ghostface himself. The iconic killer of the franchise will be back for the upcoming installment and a long-running actor responsible for Ghostface’s most iconic quotes will return alongside him: Roger L. Jackson. While the true idenтιтy of Ghostface has been different in every Scream movie, just like it will be in Scream 7, Jackson has provided the voice for the masked killer in every single installment.

Every Ghostface killer has used the same voice modulator as the original killers, Billy and Stu. This voice has always been provided by Roger L. Jackson, with his return for Scream 7 proving the Ghostface killer(s) of 2026’s movie will be no different. Although it is unclear who will be under the mask, the deep, threatening voice of Ghostface will remain consistent for Scream 7 as Roger L. Jackson rounds out the returning cast members for the upcoming film.