After the success of Radio Silence’sScream 5andScream 6, horror fans were excited to see what would happen next in the new trilogy. Sadly, however, the bottom fell out of the franchise in 2023 when starMelissa Barrerawas unceremoniously fired after comments she madeabout the Israel-Palestine conflict were deemed controversial. It was then revealed thatJenna Ortegawasn’t coming back either, meaning that Spyglass was forced to start from scratch forScream 7.
Despite how badly Barrera was treated, it was at least somewhat rewarding to see final girl iconNeve Campbellreturn to the fold aftershe sat the sixth film out over a pay dispute. With writerKevin WilliamsonandCourteney Coxreturning as well, the band was getting back together. There was even talk thatPatrick Dempsey, whoplayed Mark Kincaid inScream 3, and was later said to be married to and have a family with Sidney Prescott, might also join the cast, but then came the shocker:Dempsey isn’t coming back, andJoel McHalehas beencast to play Sidney’s husband. So just what the heck happened, and what could it mean forScream 7’s plot?
Patrick Dempsey Isn’t Returning For ‘Scream 7’
To say that Sidney Prescott doesn’t have good luck with men is an understatement. In the originalScream, we not only get the revelation that her boyfriend,Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), is the villains under the Ghostface mask, but he also killed her mother. InScream 2, Sidney moves away and goes to college, where she starts dating a nice guy named Derek (Jerry O’Connell). Sure, it’s pretty unforgivable that he’d jump on a table and start singing in front of everyone, but hey, at least he wasn’t a killer.Instead, he just ends up being killed by Ghostface.
Sidney is wisely single inScream 3, but she does enjoy some light flirting with the lead detective on the new Ghsotafce case, Mark Kincaid (Dempsey).The film ends with Kincaid alive and well, and inviting Sidney to watch a movie, but that’s the last we ever see of his character. There was hope among fans that Kincaid would return inScream 7,and among Dempsey too, who told theTodayshow in October, “I’m waiting on a script. “There has been a conversation about it. I haven’t seen anything yet, so we’ll see what happens.”
Joel McHale’s Character Could Be Very Important to the Plot
Alas, that script never came. A newDeadlinereport revealed thatJoel McHale had been cast as Sidney Prescott’s husband, a man named Mark Evans, andEntertainment Weeklyconfirmed thatPatrick Dempsey would not be in the new film. This news was a big surprise, and it could mean many things. InScream 5andScream 6, it’s mentioned that Sidney is married to and has kids with a man named Mark.Fans, of course, assumed this meant Mark Kincaid, and that’s probably what Radio Silence was going for, but with Patrick Dempsey not returning, does it mean that Sidney divorced Mark Kincaid for Mark Evans, or is this an easy way of telling us that she’s been married to Mark Evans all along?
‘Scream 7’ Is Officially Twinning Thanks To the Return of Jasmin Savoy Brown
The actress will reprise her role as Mason Gooding’s on-screen twin, Mindy Meeks-Martin.
Joel McHale is a known name and a big get for theScreamfranchise. He’s not there to just be in the background, so look for his character to go down one of two avenues. He’s either going to be an early victim who is a catalyst for Sidney’s return,or he’s going to be a suspect and potentially Ghostface himself.WatchCommunityand tell meJeff Winger couldn’t be a serial killer. McHale going on a long rant explaining himself after taking off his mask would be gold.
The Lack of Mark Kincaid May Be a Plus for Sidney Prescott’s Character
The easiest route forScream 7to go is to have Sidney married to Mark Evans all along. But what if Sidney did marry Kincaid, not only because she loved him, but because of his position of authority, and she saw him as someone who could protect her. They have kids and a happy life, but after the events ofScream 5, their marriage begins to fall apart.
The last few Scream films were criticized for their neat endings, with our final girls looking relieved and strong even though all of their friends are dead. It took away the emotional impact of their loss, especiallyDewey (David Arquette)inScream 5. It’s easy to believe that Sidney wouldn’t have been able to get past Dewey’s death.Scream VIhad to write off Sidney because of Neve Campbell’s absence, with it explained that she was in hiding, but that made perfect sense. The franchise had put so much on Sidney Prescott andthe character deserved a rest. It had become silly that she’d keep coming back for more.
Scream 7should go theHalloweenroute. In the new trilogy, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) isa woman whose trauma has consumed her. What if Sidney’s has finally become too much?It has led to the end of her marriage with Mark Kincaid, and now, against the odds, or even on purpose, she’s now with a man who has the same name…
In all likelihood, though, Dempsey probably couldn’t return for reasons relating to scheduling or money, so they hired McHale and named him Mark to account for one line of dialogue. While it’s disappointing that we won’t see McDreamy go up against Ghostface, it’ll be exciting to see whether McHale’s Mark is a nice guy or just another Billy Loomis.
