Hayden Panettiere's Rumored Scream 7 Return Clarified In New Report

Scream 7 gets a new casting update, with those Hayden Panettiere return rumors now clarified. After making her Scream franchise debut in 2011’s fourth installment, Panettiere made a triumphant comeback as Kirby Reed in 2023’s Scream 6.

After some shocking cast shakeups, which included the departure of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, Scream 7 is confirmed to be on the way, with Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Joel McHale, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding, among others, all starring. A recent EW report suggested Panettiere could be among those returning.

Now, EW has issued a correction to its previous Scream 7 Kirby claims, clarifying that Panettiere’s involvement in the movie is not confirmed after all. This doesn’t mean she won’t appear, just that such claims are currently nothing more than rumors.

What This Means For Scream 7

Mindy and Kirby look at each other while sitting on a bench in Scream — Mindy and Kirby look at each other while sitting on a bench while talking about their shared interests in horror movies in Scream 6.

After a face off against Ghostface, Kirby’s fate was left up in the air in Scream 4. The 2023 installment marked her triumphant return, with the character revealed to be working as an FBI special agent. The Scream 6 ending sees Kirby in rough shape but still alive, meaning a return in the next movie is not off the table.

As it stands, Scream 7 has a stacked cast. The film, which hails from original movie writer Kevin Williamson, who is now in the director’s chair, clearly pulled out all the stops after the highly public casting troubles of late 2023. These troubles also included original director Christopher Landon exiting the project.

Kirby’s return would fit with the film’s approach of bringing together a host of legacy characters and fresh faces. Considering just how many other actors have been publicly confirmed for the project, though, including those whose characters were thought to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, it’s unclear why Panettiere’s comeback would be kept secret.

It’s possible, then, that Panettiere won’t feature in the film at all, but it’s also possible that her return is intended to serve as more of a surprise cameo of some sort. Scream 7 filming took place from January to March of this year, so any filming she may have done for the project has long since been completed.

Our Take On Kirby’s Potential Scream 7 Return

Sam Carpenter holding a cracked Ghostface mask in Scream 6

Kirby made for a fun addition to the well-received Scream 6, and it was interesting to explore just how her past brush with Ghostface shaped her whole life. This could actually make her an interesting pick as the new Ghostface, but this would only work if Kirby also appears relatively prominently in the film while not wearing the mask.

The Scream 7 cast is the franchise’s biggest and most star-studded yet, meaning Panettiere not returning could be for the best. If Kirby’s return can’t be given adequate attention, it may be better to save her for a future sequel where she can be explored on a deeper level.