Final Destination Bloodlines is reviving the Final Destination saga, and for that, it brings Tony Todd back as William Bludworth, but it’s a bittersweet return. The 2000s saw the peak of teen horror movies and a resurgence in slasher movies, and among the most popular ones is Final Destination. Directed by James Wong, Final Destination brought together horror, supernatural elements, and a touch of slasher, while unlocking a series of new fears in the audience. It all started when Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) had a vision of the plane he had just boarded exploding in midair.
Alex panicked, which led to him and others being taken off the plane… which minutes later exploded. Alex then learned that Death doesn’t like to be cheated, and will claim their lives in bizarre accidents. This became the premise for the Final Destination saga, which is now preparing for its sixth movie. Although it’s not a sequel nor a prequel, Final Destination Bloodlines has one connecting link with the rest of the movies thanks to Bludworth, but his return is a bittersweet one.
It’s Great To See Tony Todd Back In The Final Destination Franchise Once More
William Bludworth Is The Franchise’s Most Mysterious Character
Tony Todd has been present in one way or another in most of the Final Destination saga since the first movie. Todd’s Bludworth made his first appearance when Alex and Clear (Ali Larter) snuck into the funeral home where the body of their friend Tod was. Alex and Clear hoped to take a look at their friend’s body to understand his strange death, but they came across Bludworth, the mortician. It’s thanks to him that Alex, Clear, and the audience learned about Death’s design and that it doesn’t like to be cheated, but Bludworth himself became a mystery.
Bludworth returned in Final Destination 2 to give new advice to Clear, Kim, and Burke, telling them that new life can defeat Death, and that’s how Kim managed to survive. Bludworth wasn’t physically present in Final Destination 3 but his voice can be heard as part of an animatronic Satan at the theme park and at the end of the movie as a train announcement, which only fueled the most popular theory about Bludworth (more on that in a bit).
Final Destination Bloodlines has been said to explore Bludworth’s backstory, and it’s fitting to have the saga’s key recurring character back for one more movie.
Bludworth skipped The Final Destination but returned in the fifth movie, where he appeared as a coroner who told the characters that they could live by taking a life, thus taking the lifespan of the person they killed. The Final Destination saga hasn’t explained why Bludworth knows so much about Death, its design, and its plan, leading to theories about Bludworth being Death itself. Final Destination Bloodlines has been said to explore Bludworth’s backstory, finally solving this big mystery, and it’s fitting to have the saga’s key recurring character back for one more movie.
Final Destination: Bloodlines Is One Of Tony Todd’s Last Acting Roles
Tony Todd Pᴀssed Away On November 6, 2024
Tony Todd is a horror icon, but he also appeared in movies from other genres. Todd’s acting debut was in the fantasy movie Sleepwalk, in 1986, and that same year, he played Sergeant Warren in the war movie Platoon. His first horror role was Ben in Tom Savini’s Night of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ remake in 1990, followed by Voodoo Dawn that same year. Todd became widely known when he played Daniel Robitaille a.k.a. The Candyman in the 1992 horror movie Candyman, which became his best-known role.
Following Candyman, some of Todd’s most notable projects are Alex Proyas’ The Crow, Final Destination, The Man From Earth, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Hell Fest, and the 2021 legacy sequel Candyman. Sadly, Tony Todd pᴀssed away in November 2024, and his final two movies are set to be released this year. First was Werewolf Game, released on streaming in January 2025 and directed by Jackie Payne. Werewolf Game is an adaptation of the adult party game created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986 and follows 12 kidnapped strangers who must play a game where they vote on who will be murdered.
Final Destination Bloodlines, then, is now Tony Todd’s final big screen performance. Although it’s going to be bittersweet to see him again as Bludworth, it’s fitting that his final role is not only one of his most popular ones, but also one that will finally solve all the questions there have been around him for years.
How Final Destination: Bloodlines Can Honor Tony Todd
Tony Todd Will Always Be A Final Destination Icon
Final Destination Bloodlines has a couple of ways of honoring Tony Todd. First off, and as mentioned above, the movie is said to finally explore Bludworth’s past and, hopefully, solve the mystery of how he knows so much about Death – and that’s a great way of honoring his legacy in the Final Destination universe. Of course, there will most likely be a dedication to him either at the beginning or end of Final Destination Bloodlines – after all, Tony Todd played the character (physical character, at least) that connects the entire saga.
