For years, fans debated about the possibility that Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), one of the original Ghostface killers, might just be alive all along. In the very first movie of the franchise, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) drops an entire TV on his head, and it was supposed to be the final moments for Macher. However, Scream 7, which was released on February 27th this year, proved the fan theories right and brought back Lillard after 25 years in the franchise. 

But Matthew Lillard has just revealed that he was supposed to be a part of Scream 3 in a major role.

According to JoBlo, Matthew Lillard was set to make his return in Scream 3, and his character was written in the initial draft of the script as the leader of a Ghostface cult. He was even roped in and paid for his involvement, but the script was then changed, and his part got scrapped.

“It got to the point where they had to pay me for it! We had a contract, I got paid, it was a whole thing.” His confirmation gives fans a sort of validation who always thought that Stu was never dead and that he was planning something behind the scenes. 

Anyhow, this is not the first time he has spoken about his involvement in the third installment of the franchise. While talking to Vulture in 2022, he said something similar about his involvement in the movie. He said that he was supposed to be running high-school killers from jail.

"From jail, I was kind of masterminding this attack against Sidney and so three weeks before we were supposed to start shooting, Columbine High School broke out, and they changed everything.” Here, he is referencing the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, where 13 students died in a school shooting. The script was changed because of this incident, and his character was dropped. 

When Is 'Scream' 7 Coming Out on Netflix? Streaming Possibilities, Release Date, and Everything to Know

Finally, after 25 years, fans have Matthew Lillard returning as Stu Macher in Scream 7, and it is genius how they have orchestrated his return.

The movie uses a simple element relevant to the real world nowadays to make Stu’s return plausible. Sidney gets a video call from Ghostface, who is after her daughter this time, early in the movie. It turns out it is Stu Macher, looking grey and old, and his face is filled with scars. They were convinced for the better part of the movie that Macher has indeed returned.

However, in a disappointing turn of events, all of this is false because Marco is one of the new Ghostfaces in Scream 7. In an effort to transform Tatum into a new Final Girl and continue the tradition, he used AI to make that video and distract everyone while he continued with his plan.

This is how makers, very cleverly, brought Matthew Lillard back one more time to the franchise. It is difficult to say whether we will see him in the next part, if there is any possibility of Scream 8.

No Carpenter Sisters? Here’s Why Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega Aren’t in 'Scream 7'

Did you know about Matthew Lillard’s involvement in Scream 3? Let us know in the comments.