Scream 7 intends to bring back legacy characters after bidding farewell to the franchise’s new leads, but doing so won’t be enough to make up for the loss of the Carpenter sisters. Although Scream 7 was meant to round out a trilogy focused on Sam and Tara, the franchise is changing directions. This comes after the controversial firing of Melissa Barrera, which was swiftly followed by Jenna Ortega’s exit from the horror sequel. Without the duo at the helm, Scream is returning to its roots — mainly by utilizing whichever legacy stars can realistically come back.
Neve Campbell is already set to return as final girl Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, despite the sixth movie’s suggestion that she’d found her happy ending. It seems the Scream franchise is hoping for another actor’s comeback as well — Patrick Dempsey’s Mark — which will allow the upcoming sequel to fully capitalize on nostalgia for the previous films. Unfortunately, the inclusion of these legacy characters won’t be enough to save it after Barrera’s and Ortega’s shocking exits.
Sidney and Mark returning for Scream 7 might have been exciting under other circumstances, but the departure of the Carpenter sisters makes it bittersweet. The horror franchise’s recent casting choices are already shrouded in controversy, and that’s not to mention the logistical issues with shifting the focus to the past. As much as viewers love Campbell and Dempsey, their characters’ stories have been sufficiently wrapped up in past Scream movies. There’s a risk to bringing them back: it could feel like repeating storylines and overdoing their arcs.
By contrast, Sam and Tara’s Scream narrative had much more potential to explore in the upcoming sequel. It’s true that Sam’s Scream ending was satisfying enough despite arriving too soon. However, compared to Sidney’s story, Sam’s barely scratched the surface. And the franchise could have dug much deeper into Tara’s experience as well, along with the other members of the Core Four.
As though dropping Sam and Tara’s storyline wasn’t disappointing enough, Scream 7‘s new focus also raises questions about whether it will return to the rest of the Core Four. Mindy and Chad both survive Scream 6, and they were likely supposed to return for the sequel. With half of the Core Four gone, their comebacks are now questionable. That’s a shame, as Scream 7 could have expanded their storylines rather than bringing back characters whose arcs are finished. Hopefully, Mindy and Chad will still get a proper send-off. Viewers will need to wait for Scream 7 to find out.