Matthew Lillard opens up about his upcoming return to the Scream franchise in Scream 7, explaining how he feels the pressure that his appearance could bring. The actor made his first appearance in 1996’s Scream, where he played Woodsboro teen Stu Macher, who finds himself caught up in the Ghostface Killer’s original spree of murders. Scream 7‘s story will see Lillard reunite with original movie co-stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and original writer Kevin Williamson, alongside Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Roger L. Jackson, Isabel May, and Joel McHale.

During a panel at 90s Con, moderated by People, Lillard opened up about the pressure he has felt regarding his long-awaited return to the franchise. According to the actor, he has been both excited and worried about returning in case his performance has any negative effect on the franchise’s legacy. With the high expectations surrounding his return, Lillard was concerned that any mistake or false move could reflect badly on his returning and newcomer castmates. Check out his response below:

I will say, I can’t say anything about it, obviously. But I am very excited and slightly terrified to be back because all I can do is really screw up a legacy that we have. I could really suck, and so that’s my fear. My fear is that I come back and sort of punish something that I could never have touched and been just fine. I hope I don’t f’ it up for everyone.

What This Means For Scream 7

The Character’s Return Has Been Hoped For By Many Fans

Lillard’s worries about his Scream 7 return are understandable, as his return has long been desired by fans of the franchise, even though Stu Macher came to a grizzly end as his face was crushed by a television set. Stu, alongside his fellow original movie killer Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), still rank among the franchise’s best Ghostfaces for their chemistry and entertaining, unhinged performances. And despite the unlikely survival of Stu from his fate, many had theorized how he could survive, a perspective that was canonized in-universe with Scream 6.

As such, Lillard’s return left many excited about the prospect that Stu could return in some form, especially as Ulrich had reprised his role of Billy via hallucinations in Scream (2022). While Billy opened up new ways for how previously-deceased characters could return, it is not confirmed yet if either Lillard or Scott Foley will reprise their past roles. With this, eager fans should perhaps temper their expectations until more details about the movie’s cast emerge.

Our Thoughts On Lillard’s Scream 7 Return

The Actor Is A Beloved Icon Of The Franchise

While not the largest factor concerning Scream fans about the development of Scream 7, it is clear Lillard has placed careful thought into his return to the franchise. As such, many potential viewers may be left wondering just what role the actor will play in the feature, especially as he has been firm in supporting a potential return to the franchise previously. Regardless of what his role may be, it is likely that many viewers will be pleased to see him as part of the franchise once more.

Source: People