Scream 7is set to feature many returning characters from prior movies, with some already confirmed for a role. Thestory ofScream7is being kept under wraps given that the film is not expected to release until 2026, but many are excited about a return to the popular horror franchise. Although the third and fourth installments received mixed reviews, the soft reboots ofScream VandScream VIin 2022 and 2023 respectively were classed as some of thebetter-rankedScreammoviesto date.
As such, the anticipation of another installment is rising, despite some casting changes. In 2023, it was reported that thestars ofScream VandScream VI-Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera - would not be returning for the seventh film. Barrera did not return due to being fired after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Ortega citing scheduling conflicts for theupcomingWednesdayseason 2, though the latter has expressed her support for the former. Regardless of these changes, several other characters have been confirmed forScream 7who have appeared in other installments in the long-running franchise.
7Sidney Prescott
Played By Neve Campbell
The first returning character forScream 7is Sidney Prescott. Sidney has been a mainstay in the franchise since the first installment in 1996, yet is one of the few who was absent fromScream VI. This came as a result of a pay dispute between actress Neve Campbell and the studio that produces theScreammovies, though this issue seems to have been resolved. Campbell’s return as Prescott was confirmed by the actress herself in March 2024, marking the sixth appearance of the character in the series.
Scream 7
July 11, 2025
Campbell’s Sidney Prescott has long been deemed the main character of theScreamfranchise. She appeared in the original trilogy, fending off themultiple versions ofScream’s iconic Ghostface killerthat targeted her and, in many ways, were directly linked to her. Her absence fromScream VIwas explained by another returning character, with Sidney said to be living in hiding with her family amid new Ghostface killings. Evidently, Sidney did not remain in hiding due to her appearance in the upcomingScream7.
6Gale Weathers
Played By Courteney Cox
Another prominent character in theScreamseries is Gale Weathers. Unlike Sidney, Gale has appeared in all sixScreammovies and is expected to return inScream 7, once again played by Courteney Cox. Cox’s return as Gale was confirmed in December 2024, with the actress expressing her excitement over the story and the direction of Kevin Williamson, the writer of the first two and fourthScreammovies, who is behind the camera for the first time.
In the original trilogy ofScreammovies, Gale was shown as a fame-seeking reporter, tied to the Prescott family due to her investigation of the murder of Sidney’s mother. Via her connection to Sidney, Gale became intertwined with the many Ghostface killings that took place in Woodsboro over the decades.Scream Vsaw Gale return to Woodsboro out of concern for her ex-husband, Dewey, withScream VI’s New York setting seeing her help the Carpenter twins with a new Ghostface killer. Thanks to Cox’s return inScream 7,Gale will continue her 100% record in the franchise.
Played By Mason Gooding
A more recent debutant in theScreamfranchise set to return forScream 7is Chad Meeks-Martin. Chad first appeared in 2022’sScream Vas a new character, played by Mason Gooding. Chad was a member of the football team of Woodsboro High and the nephew of a character from the originalScreammovies, Randy Meeks. Chad opposes the Ghostface killers inScreambefore becoming a more prominent part ofScream VI, in which he and Ortega’s Tara become a couple.
Interestingly, Chad will be part ofScream 7without the Carpenters, who drew him into the story ofScream VandScream VI.Gooding’s return was confirmed shortly before Cox’s, hinting that he may have just as big a role as Cox and Campbell in the upcoming film. Given what Chad has been through alongside Gale and Sidney inScream VandScream VI, this certainly makes sense, priming him to be an important part ofScream 7’s story as he goes up against more killers hellbent on causing Ghostface havoc.
4Mindy Meeks-Martin
Played By Jasmin Savoy Brown
Alongside Chad’s return inScream 7is that of his twin sister, Mindy Meeks-Martin. Like Chad, Mindy is the niece of legacyScreamcharacter Randy Meeks and was integral to the stories ofScream VandScream VI. Like Randy before her, Mindy serves as the self-referential character in her respectiveScreammovies. Mindy often outlines the tropes and conventions of horror movies like the fictionalStab, continuing a trend of the metaScreamfranchise. InScream 7, which is turning out to be a riff on legacy crossover sequels, Mindy will have a lot of tropes to cover.
As with Chad, it will be interesting to see what role Mindy plays in the film in the absence of Ortega and Barrera as Tara and Sam Carpenter. Mindy was shown to be a close friend to Tara and could provide an in-universe explanation for the character’s absence, just as Chad could due to their relationship inScream V. Jasmin Savoy Brown’s return as Mindy was confirmed in January 2025, as were many other returning characters long thought dead from priorScreaminstallments.
3Roman Bridger
Played By Scott Foley
Perhaps the biggest surprise regarding returning characters forScream 7is Roman Bridger. Roman first appeared inScream 3as the in-universe director ofStab 3, eventually being revealed as that film’s Ghostface killer. Roman is theGhostface with the highest kill count in theScreamfranchise, fueled by his unexpected birth as the half-brother of Sidney Prescott. Sidney’s mother, Maureen, was revealed to have been sexually assaulted during her time as an actress, leading to Roman’s birth and his need for a family.
InScream 3,Roman is revealed as the orchestrator of the original Woodsboro killings after showing Billy Loomis video footage of Maureen Prescott with Billy’s father. This stemmed from Maureen’s rejection of Roman, as well as Roman’s jealousy of Sidney’s fame after the Ghostface attacks of the previous two movies. How Roman will return inScream 7is unclear, given that the character was seemingly shot in the head by David Arquette’s Dewey Riley at the end ofScream 3.Be it a flashback, hallucinations, an elaborate fake death, or another meta reveal, Roman will return inScream 7.
2Stu Macher
Played By Matthew Lillard
Just like Roman Bridger’s return,Scream 7’s inclusion of Stu Macher is a headscratcher, albeit an incredibly exciting one. Stu Macher, played by Matthew Lillard, was one of the two original Ghostface killers alongside Billy Loomis in the firstScreammovie. Since then, Stu has become an iconic character in the franchise, primarily due to Lillard’s performance. After admitting his horror-fanatic motive that he was simply killing for fun, Stu Macher was seemingly killed by Sidney Prescott after being stabbed by his ally, Billy, and having a TV unit dropped on his head, apparently electrocuting him.
Nonetheless, Stu Macher is returning forScream 7. This was confirmed in January 2025 by various reports, as well as by Lillard himself. After a string of horror performances inFive Nights at Freddy’sand his return in the 2025 sequel, the actor took to social media to post a cryptic message thatScreamfans will recognize. In the post,a hand is shown writing down the words"My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me,“one of Stu’s iconic lines from the original movie, said after Sidney tells him she has called the police.
Like Roman Bridger, it is unclear exactly how Stu will return inScream 7. As alluded to, the character was thought to be dead, though surviving the TV and stab wounds he received is admittedly easier to explain than Roman’s headshot. This could mean that Stu returns as an alive-and-well person, rather than a potential flashback or hallucination like Roman. Regardless, the return of Stu marks another major character involvement forScream 7, making the film a true legacy sequel.
1Ghostface
Voiced By Roger L. Jackson
The final returning character forScream 7that is worth mentioning is Ghostface himself. The iconic killer of the franchise will be back for the upcoming installment and a long-running actor responsible for Ghostface’s most iconic quotes will return alongside him: Roger L. Jackson. While the true identity of Ghostface has been different in everyScreammovie, just like it will be inScream 7, Jackson has provided the voice for the masked killer in every single installment.
15 Iconic Ghostface Quotes
Along with a high body count in the Scream franchise, the various Ghostface killer(s) also knows how to deliver iconic lines across the series.
Every Ghostface killer has used the same voice modulator as the original killers, Billy and Stu. This voice has always been provided by Roger L. Jackson, with his return forScream 7proving the Ghostface killer(s) of 2026’s movie will be no different. Although it is unclear who will be under the mask, the deep, threatening voice of Ghostface will remain consistent forScream 7as Roger L. Jackson rounds out the returning cast members for the upcoming film.
