To say that we love the Evil Dead franchise here at CinemaBlend is probably an understatement, as the first three films made our list of the best horror movies of all time, with Ash vs. Evil Dead gleefully delivering some of TV’s grossest sequences. And even though French filmmaker Sebastien Vaniček’s upcoming horror movie Evil Dead Burn is another standalone entry that aims more for extreme terror than anything comedic, it still comes with a seal of approval from OGs Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.

Evil Dead Burn's first trailer offered a compacted smor-gore-sbord of the intensity that horror fans can anticipate when the 2026 movie releases on July 10, and Vaniček talked to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the newest issue about being heavily influenced by the hyper-violent films that sparked the New French Extremity moniker. But no need to fear it feeling like a completely different horror movie. The director shared that Ash Williams himself, Bruce Campbell, had but one request when they first talked about Burn’s approach. In his words:

Gotta love hearing that Campbell only wanted the newest franchise director to stick to the mission statement, but without attempting to convince Vaniček to go in any specific directions with it. It's not entirely unexpected, but still means a lot.

Bruce Campbell essentially retired from portraying Ash in live-action, and previously turned down opportunities to make cameos in the current era of Evil Dead features. What's more, the actor candidly revealed he was diagnosed with a treatable-but-not-curable cancer, which has obviously had an impact on his day-to-day life.

Sebastien Vaniček paid Campbell a mighty big compliment as well, saying this about the fan-favorite actor:

He's a one-of-a-kind treasure, that guy. I can't wait to hear what Bruce Campbell thinks about Evil Dead Burn as a finished product, and whether or not he thinks the actors suffered more than he did under Sam Raimi's direction. (Probably not.)

Speaking of the esteemed genre master, Evil Dead Burn's Vaniček shared that Raimi allowed himself to be an open book — but not like a cursed one with human skin for its cover — if and when any questions came up or advice was needed. The French filmmaker praised that process, saying:

We've come a long way from 1981's The Evil Dead, but just like its garish and malicious monsters, this franchise always comes back, and it gets nastier every time. But in a good way, and not like old milk.

Have fun celebrating America's independence, because by July 10, Evil Dead Burn will be pouring hot wax all over everything in sight.

Watching Bruce Campbell on the big screen, one practically gets the impression that he is immortal, as he has faced down all varieties of monstrous and weird threats and walked away with his giant chin held high (and often covered in plenty of blood). Given this reputation, it's particularly distressing to get the news today that the actor is currently dealing with a health scare that he says is going to impact his upcoming professional schedule.

Campbell shared the update with his fans today via his personal Twitter page, posting a picture of himself walking in a field with text that explains what he is currently dealing with – which is a non-specific cancer that he says is "treatable" but not "curable." You can see his full post below:

Per the post, Campbell is going to be taking a hiatus from professional activities in the coming months, which includes not just acting projects but also appearances at conventions over the summer. His hope is that the rest will give him enough time to recover so that he will be back and ready for action in the fall – specifically to promote the release of his new movie Ernie & Emma, which is the first film he's directed since 2007's My Name Is Bruce (he also wrote the script and is playing the lead role).

If you're like me, reading the first few paragraphs of the update leaves you with the feeling of taking a roundhouse kick to the solar plexus, but he also makes it clear that he is not trying to elicit sympathy for his condition and offers a message of hope that one can clearly hear in his distinctive voice:

In addition to making Ernie & Emma, Bruce Campbell has been mixing things up in the last few years with both live-action and voice work. He's part of the ensemble in the underrated horror-comedy series Hysteria! that premiered for Peacock subscribers in 2024, and his last two credits include an episode of the Amazon Prime Video series Invincible and an animated film titled A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas that has the actor playing Owl. He is also briefly featured in director Sam Raimi's new film Send Help – albeit as a painted portrait rather than in person.

As fans of Bruce Campbell ever since we first saw him tear apart deadites in 1983's The Evil Dead, we here at CinemaBlend wish the genre legend a speedy recovery and send positive vibes out to all of his family, friends, and fans.

One of CinemaBlend’s favorite scream queens, Samara Weaving is among the youngest actresses to grasp that title so firmly, with roles in horror hits such as The Babysitter movies, Scream VI, and Azrael, as well as Ready or Not and its sequel set to hit the 2026 movie schedule very soon. She’s great in every performance, to be sure, but her icon status is indeed largely due to her wildly intense screams.

It’s quite awesome that Weaving has packed so many great horror (and thriller) projects into less than a decade, and it’s perhaps no coincidence that her rise in genre stature came relatively soon after she first discovered she was capable of belting out such ear-piercing screams. While taking part in a Reddit AMA to promote the star-studded Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Weaving responded to a fan’s high praise of her screaming talents, sharing that it originated in a project co-starring another horror legend, Bruce Campbell. As she put it:

Having made a name for herself in her native Australia, Samara Weaving hadn't yet become so familiar to American audiences, but that shift definitely started with her recurring role as Heather in Ash Vs. Evil Dead's stellar first season. Heather was part of a group of hikers who inevitably led Ash, Pablo and Kelly to that most cursed of horror cabins.

Of course, she didn't just ride calmly off into the sunset or anything. Weaving was totally schooled in Sam Raimi's patented Evil Dead mayhem, which mainly involves getting totally soaked in fake blood. But Bruce Campbell clearly doesn't have the pipes that Weaving does, or else we might have heard Ash shattering some glass with his own high-pitched screeches throughout that franchise.

Weaving said it was a wonder to her that she was able to create such a sound, and amusingly pointed out that it was quickly appreciated by others on the set.

Her scream is far too intense to be a yodel, and yet also too nuanced to just be considered everyday caterwauling. So I'm also good slotting it into the "yoddle" category.

To get a hint at what kind of ear-exploding screaming she'll rattle our brains with next, check out the Ready or Not 2: Here I Come trailer below, with or without earplugs inserted.

Here's hoping Samara Weaving continues to show up in as many upcoming horror movies as she aims for, but also that she gets to be the monstrous entity one of these days.

I’m the kind of The Evil Dead franchise fan who can never get enough of the gloriously blood-soaked behind-the-scenes stories that went into making one of the best horror movies of all time. But long before Bruce Campbell became horror’s most lovable chin-first hero and made one of the best MCU cameos, and long before we were scanning the 2026 movie schedule for when the newest entry in the series, Evil Dead Burn, might finally arrive, he was also, by his own account, the primary stress ball Sam Raimi used to squeeze the movie into existence. Not metaphorically, either, but physically, and with sticks.

In Campbell’s memoir If Chins Could Kill, he recounts one of those moments that feels too deranged to be embellished. After a brutal graveyard sequence, he’s sprinting downhill, hits a bad step and twists his ankle hard enough that he goes down for real. Campbell's not “movie hurt,” but feeling actual, lights-out pain. He writes:

Raimi and Rob Tapert allegedly decided this was the perfect time to turn his injury into a low-budget anthropology experiment. The Bubba Ho-Tep star continues:

Campbell’s account is wild enough on its own, but the cherry on top is that the limp you see on camera afterward is not performance. It’s the real injury, captured in the middle of a shoot that apparently had no concept of “light duty.”

That story also reframes Ash’s whole vibe in The Evil Dead. He isn’t just terrified, he’s physically compromised, constantly off-balance and trying to survive the night while his body is actively filing complaints. It adds a grim little authenticity to the chaos, like the film is running on pure adrenaline and spite.

And the ankle incident wasn’t the only indignity Campbell endured for the cause. If the woods didn’t get him, the blood certainly tried. The Black Friday actor also describes being the primary target of the movie’s sticky, syrupy gore, getting soaked so frequently that it dried on him like “the inbred cousin of Super Glue.” Anyone who’s ever gotten pancake syrup on their hands knows exactly how cursed that must have felt. Now imagine that syrup is tinted, slathered, repeatedly reapplied, and left to crust while you’re being tossed around a cabin set like a ragdoll with a leading man credit.

This is the part where you realize The Evil Dead didn’t just create a horror icon, but thanks to shenanigans on set, it forged one. Campbell’s suffering becomes part of the film’s texture, the same way the frantic camera moves and breakneck momentum do. It’s scrappy filmmaking with a best-friends-and-bruises ethos, and somehow it turned into a classic.

Is the longtime Ash performer's story horrifying? Absolutely. Weirdly hilarious? Also yes, mostly because Bruce Campbell lived to tell the tale and recounts it with that wincing charm that makes you laugh even as you swear you’d never agree to “just one more take” in the woods.

If you want to revisit his war stories in action, The Evil Dead is one of the best movies streaming for free right now. And if you’d rather jump to the most recent theatrical chapter, Evil Dead Rise is available to anyone with an HBO Max subscription.

Today is Friday the 13th, and each time this sacred day rolls around, I cannot help but be reminded of a beloved horror movie franchise that bears its name. That being said, I, admittedly, am not a huge admirer of the series of classic slasher flicks, but I am a passionate fan of another franchise that Jason Voorhees has a connection to. No, I am not talking about the Nightmare on Elm Street series, but the Evil Dead movies.

Yes, you read the right: the hockey mask-clad, machete-wielding iconic horror movie villain does, indeed, have one blood-soaked, decomposing foot in the world of creator Sam Raimi’s ultra-gory demonic possession films, which are continuing with two upcoming horror movies currently in the works. Just how do the Friday the 13th movies connect to the Evil Dead universe? Well, if you call yourself a fan of classic horror movies, you might know already. If not, allow me to explain…

Jason Voorhees Is A Deadite

While not widely considered one of the best Friday the 13th flicks, 1993’s Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (yeah, right) is recognized as an important installment in uncovering the mystery behind Jason Voorhees’ ability to continue his murder streak at Crystal Lake and elsewhere again and again… and again. The killer actually dies in the first scene, but remains a presence throughout by way of bodily possession. So, just how is that possible?

Protagonist Steve Freeman (John D. LeMay) discovers at the Voorhees Family home a strange-looking book that Evil Dead fans should recognize as the Necronomicon Ex Mortis (a.k.a., the Book of the Dead). This implies that Jason’s mother, Pamela (the iconic female horror movie villain originally played by Betsy Palmer), used the flesh-bound, blood-inked volume of the book to bring her deceased son back to life and sort of succeeded, turning him into a murderous monster. In other words, Jason Voorhees is no different from the spiritually possessed “Deadites” that Ash Williams lays waste to with the chainsaw he replaced his right hand with.

The Lore Goes Deeper In A Comic Book

Speaking of the snarky, but resourceful horror movie hero played by horror movie icon Bruce Campbell, Ash Williams has even faced off against Jason Voorhees, just not on the big screen. The Jason Goes to Hell ending teases a Friday the 13th/A Nightmare on Elm Street crossover that eventually became a reality with the release of Freddy vs. Jason ten years later. Campbell recalled to radio host Sam Roberts how New Line Cinema approached him with a pitch for a follow-up that would see his character take on the slasher villains, like Jason, but nothing materialized for various behind-the-scenes reasons.

However, the idea would inspire a comic book from DC’s Wildstorm and Dynamite Entertainment aptly titled Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. The six-issue series from writer James Kuhoric ties all the subtle crossover connections between the three hit franchises (from the aforementioned Necromonicon cameo in Jason Goes to Hell to a shot of Freddy Krueger’s glove in the horror-comedy movie favorite, Evil Dead II) together in one epic, bloody showdown.

As previously mentioned, the Evil Dead series is moving forward with Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn and another anthological feature follow-up in development, as is the saga of Jason Voorhees with Peacock’s upcoming horror TV show, Crystal Lake. Could the connection between these thrilling franchises grow deeper with the release of these forthcoming projects? Only time will tell. Until then, have a happy and safe Friday the 13th!

The X-Files is an iconic show to come out of the early '90s, and the combination of mythology stories and Monster of the Week episodes created enough of a hit to last nine original seasons, two revival seasons, and two feature films. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson aren't the only big names to come out of the show, however, as a number of the guest stars went on to become stars of their own shows. Read on for the standouts!

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds is known for big screen ventures like the Deadpool films nowadays, but The X-Files fans saw a very young version of the actor in the Season 3 episode “Syzygy” in 1996… briefly, anyway! His character was killed off before the end of the cold open, but Reynolds would go on to star in ABC’s hit Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place sitcom from 1998-2001.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston proved a master of comedy with Malcolm in the Middle and of drama with Breaking Bad, but he flexed his acting muscles on The X-Files earlier on. While playing the ill-fated Patrick Crump in the Season 6 episode “Drive” wasn’t his first TV credit, the 1998 gig introduced him to executive producer Vince Gilligan, who would go on to cast Cranston as Walter White.

Jack Black

Long before School of Rock and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Jack Black played Bart “Zero” Liquori in Episode 3 of The X-Files’ third season in 1995. He would later star in TV projects like Tenacious D between 1997-2000, The Brink in 2015, and the Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight animated series from 2022-2023.

Terry O'Quinn

Terry O’Quinn portrayed three different franchise characters. He played Lt. Brian Tillman in the “Aubrey” episode of Season 2 in 1995, SAC Michaud in The X-Files: Fight the Future feature film, and Shadow Man in the “Trust No 1” episode of Season 9 in 2002. Best known now as John Locke on Lost from 2004-2010, he also recurred on shows including Hawaii Five-0, FBI: Most Wanted, and Resident Alien.

Luke Wilson

Luke Wilson holds a special place in the hearts of many X-Files fans for starring as the vampire sheriff Lucius Hartwell in arguably the show’s best episode: “Bad Blood” in 1998. Following that Season 5 episode, he landed multi-episode gigs on shows including That ‘70s Show and Roadies before starring in the DC Comics-based series Stargirl from 2020-2022.

Lucy Liu

Future Kill Bill actress Lucy Liu played Kim Hsin in The X-Files’ third season episode called “Hell Money” back in 1996. She debuted in her first series regular role on the sitcom Pearl later that year, but her big TV break would be Ling Woo on Ally McBeal before playing Dr. Joan Watson in CBS’ Elementary from 2012-2019.

Tony Shalhoub

Before he was an Emmy- and Tony Award-winner, Tony Shalhoub appeared in the Season 2 episode of The X-Files called “Soft Light” as the very stressed Dr. Chester Ray Banton. While he was already starring on NBC’s sitcom Wings at the time, his most acclaimed (and award-winning) work came later with Monk starting in 2002 and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel starting in 2017.

Jane Lynch

The ninth season of The X-Files wasn't the most popular, but the “Lord of the Flies” episode in 2001 featured Jane Lynch as Mrs. Anne T. Lokensgard years before she introduced the world to Sue Sylvester on Fox’s Glee. For that role, she'd be nominated for three Emmys and win one over the course of six seasons from 2009-2015.

Felicity Huffman

Considering Felicity Huffman's later fame for Sports Night, American Crime, and Desperate Housewives, it can be easy to overlook her very early episode of The X-Files as Dr. Nancy Da Silva in 1993. The Season 1 episode was an homage to the iconic horror film The Thing and remains one of the show’s best more than thirty years later.

Shia LaBeouf

When one thinks of Shia LaBeouf as a child star, his lead role as Louis Stevens in Disney Channel’s Even Stevens from 2000-2003 probably comes to mind first. One year earlier, however, the future household name played a sick youngster by the name of Richie in a Season 7 episode of The X-Files called “The Goldberg Variation.”

CCH Pounder

While CCH Pounder only appeared as Agent Lucy Kazdin in one episode of The X-Files, Season 2's “Duane Barry” was pivotal. Starting later in 1994, Pounder appeared in the first four seasons of ER before arriving on The Shield in 2002. Her longest-running role has been playing NCIS: New Orleans' Dr. Loretta Wade for all seven seasons from 2014-2021.

BD Wong

While BD Wong appeared in Jurassic Park in the early ‘90s, small-screen stardom would take longer. He played Detective Glen Chao in The X-Files’ “Hell Money” episode of Season 3 in 1996, before he’d go on to a role in Oz from 1997-2003 and Law & Order: SVU starting in 2001. He’d eventually become one of the Law & Order stars to appear in most episodes.

Donal Logue

Donal Logue guest-starred in The X-Files' very first Monster of the Week episode, called “Squeeze,” in 1993. He went on to recur in later seasons of ER before starring in all five seasons of Grounded for Life and all five seasons of Gotham, which wrapped after 100 episodes in 2019.

Peter Boyle

Peter Boyle’s career goes back to the 1960s, but X-Files Season 3 fans will remember him for playing the title character in “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” in 1995, for which he won an Emmy. He would then score another seven Emmy nominations for playing Frank Barone across nine seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996-2005.

Laurie Holden

Laurie Holden wasn’t a one-off guest star on The X-Files but would appear in ten episodes as Marita Covarrubias between 1996-2002. She’d become more of a household name as part of the original cast of The Walking Dead regulars, and she ranks among the Walking Dead cast members to appear in most episodes.

Aaron Paul

The future Breaking Bad star can be found in a Season 9 episode of The X-Files, called “Lord of the Flies” in 2001, where he played a character with the distinguished name of “Sky Commander Winky.” He would go on to recur on Big Love before landing his career-making role as Jesse Pinkman opposite Bryan Cranston. Post-Breaking Bad credits include The Path, BoJack Horseman, and Westworld.

Michael Emerson

Years before his Emmy-winning portrayal of Ben on Lost, Michael Emerson guest-starred in the final Monster of the Week episode of The X-Files’ original run. Called “Sunshine Days,” the Season 9 episode in 2002 preceded his guest stint on Without a Trace, his role in Saw, and of course five seasons of Lost. Other long-running roles since The X-Files include Person of Interest and Evil.

Jesse L. Martin

Jesse L. Martin arrived on The X-Files to play baseball-loving alien Josh Exley in “The Unnatural,” the Season 6 episode written and directed by David Duchovny in 1999. Later that year, Martin joined the cast of Law & Order, where he remained for nine seasons and nearly 200 episodes. The Flash was his next series regular gig until 2023, followed by The Irrational early in the 2024 TV lineup.

Bradley Whitford

While Bradley Whitford is likely best remembered for his work as Josh Lyman in The West Wing starting in 1999, he had a very different part to play in The X-Files’ second season in 1994. He portrayed the unfortunate Daniel Trepkos in “Firewalker.” Whitford has three Emmy wins to his name since the early ‘90s thanks to his work on The West Wing, Transparent, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Paul McCrane

Paul McCrane played the titular character in the Season 4 episode called “Leonard Betts” in 1997. He’s also responsible for one of the most iconic lines in The X-Files history: “I’m sorry, but you’ve got something I need.” McCrane joined the cast of ER later that year to play Dr. Robert Romano across seven seasons, ending his time in one of the medical drama’s most memorable deaths.

Kurtwood Smith

Although he would later be quite well known for a different Fox series, Kurtwood Smith portrayed Agent Bill Patterson in the Season 3 episode called “Grotesque,” which aired on the network in 1996. Two years later, he was back on Fox for That ‘70s Show to play Red Forman for eight seasons and 200 episodes. Smith more recently reprised the role for Netflix’s That ‘90s Show.

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer’s episode of The X-Files in 1999 may be better remembered as the one that delivered the first actual kiss between Mulder and Scully, but you can find the actress in the Season 7 episode titled “Millennium.” In addition to winning her Academy Award for The Help, Spencer landed many guest and recurring TV gigs before her lead role in Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told from 2019-2023.

Seth Green

Seth Green was a guest in the very first episode of The X-Files following the pilot, as Emil in “Deep Throat” in 1993. While it wasn’t his first TV role, it preceded his work as Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997-2000. He really hit his stride as a voice actor with Robot Chicken and Family Guy in particular, with hundreds of episodes of each show to his name.

Garrett Dillahunt

The X-Files is one of Garret Dillahunt’s earliest credits, as he played Edward Skur in the flashback-heavy Season 5 episode “Travelers” in 1998. He may be better remembered for his work in Deadwood which started several years later in 2004, followed by TV projects including all four seasons of Raising Hope, three seasons of The Mindy Project, and three seasons of Fear the Walking Dead.

Dean Norris

Dean Norris is a master of playing characters in law enforcement, including Marshal Tapia in The X-Files’ Season 2 episode “F. Emasculata” in 1995. His biggest TV break would come years later as Hank Schrader in Breaking Bad, and he appeared in all three seasons of CBS’ Under the Dome and all four seasons of TNT’s Claws before recurring in Law & Order: Organized Crime’s fourth season as well.

Lucy Lawless

Lucy Lawless’ most iconic work to date was likely as Xena in Xena: Warrior Princess for syndication from 1995-2001, but she came to network TV primetime in 2001 for two episodes of The X-Files Season 9 as alien super-soldier Shannon McMahon. She’d go on to recur across the last three seasons of Battlestar Galactica and become one of the faces of Starz’s Spartacus franchise of shows starting in 2010.

Brad Dourif

Brad Dourif is one of The X-Files’ most memorable early guest stars as serial killer Luther Lee Boggs in Season’s “Beyond the Sea” in 1991, but he really made a mark on TV starting in 2004 with playing Doc Cochran in Deadwood. More recently, he has been voicing the demonic doll himself in the Chucky series that premiered in 2021.

Bruce Campbell

After the Evil Dead films, Bruce Campbell was a perfect casting for a show like The X-Files in its sixth season. He played Wayne Weinsider in the twisted “Terms of Endearment” episode of 1999. Campbell would later spend seven seasons on USA as part of the Burn Notice cast, and – of course – reprise his role as Ash for all three seasons of the Ash vs Evil Dead TV show.

Willie Garson

The late Willie Garson played two different characters on The X-Files: Quinton “Roach” Freely in Season 3’s “The Walk” in 1995 and Henry Weems in Season 7’s “The Goldberg Variation” in 1999. His most well-known work is likely playing Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City across all six seasons starting in 1998. He would also star in all six seasons of USA’s White Collar following its 2009 premiere.

Giovanni Ribisi

Giovanni Ribisi certainly wasn’t unknown in television when he guest-starred as Darin Peter Oswald in Season 3 of The X-Files in 1995, but it was before he made his Friends debut as Frank Buffay Jr. More significantly, he starred in Fox’s Dads opposite Seth Green from 2013-2014 and then all three seasons of Prime Video’s Sneaky Pete from 2015-2019.

Mark Sheppard

Mark Sheppard only had a couple of credits in the entertainment industry to his name when he appeared as Cecil L’Ively in the Season 1 episode “Fire” in 1993. He then landed ongoing roles in shows like Soldier of Fortune, Inc., 24, and Battlestar Galactica, but he’s best known for portraying the fan-favorite demon Crowley on Supernatural for eight of the show’s fifteen seasons.

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo came to The X-Files in Season 8 to play Cesar Ocampo in “Redrum” in the show’s early post-Mulder era. In addition to some film credits following TXF, he arrived on The Young and the Restless in 2008 and – most notably – Sons of Anarchy to play Romeo Parada starting in 2011. He’s also a prolific voice actor for shows including King of the Hill, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and Big City Greens.

While the list of A-listers who have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe is long and diverse, another list that’s worth looking into is the wild group of actors, performers and others who have said yes to doing cameos. So, in celebration of those folks, here are the 32 best cameos in the MCU. 

Harry Styles As Eros In The Eternals 

Big names pop up in the MCU all the time, however, they’re almost always well-known actors. While Harry Styles has had a few acting roles, it’s not his primary profession, so yes, it was shocking when the singer showed up as Eros, Thanos’ brother, in the post-credits scene of The Eternals. However, since the film’s release in 2021, Styles’ future in the MCU has remained unknown, leaving his role as simply a cameo and nothing more.  

Blake Lively As Lady Deadpool In Deadpool & Wolverine 

Leading into Deadpool & Wolverine’s release, the speculation about who would play Lady Deadpool was running rampant. However, it wasn’t all too shocking when it was revealed that Ryan Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively was playing the female variant of her partner’s merc with the mouth.  

Sam Neill As Odin’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

While the Thor: Ragnarok cast is stacked with legends like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum and more, Taika Waititi also assembled quite the ensemble of cameos to play a troupe of actors in Asgard who put on a play about Thor and his family. This included Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, who portrayed Anthony Hopkins’ King of Asgard, Odin.  

Stan Lee As Various Characters 

While future MCU projects sadly won’t have any in-person Stan Lee cameos, we can always re-watch the Marvel movies in order to see the legendary comic writer. Before his death in 2018, Stan Lee made cameos in just about every Marvel project, whether it was from Marvel Studios, Fox or Sony. 

Some fan-favorite cameos from him included his role as a security guard in Captain America: The Winter Solider, a New York resident being interviewed on the news in The Avengers and an astronaut telling a story to the Watchers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, among many, many, many others. 

Matt Damon As Loki’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

In the play Loki orchestrated in Thor: Ragnarok that tells the (not so true) story of him and his family, Matt Damon was cast to play the role of Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief. Which honestly, is inspired casting. Damon also popped in the non-MCU Deadpool 2. 

Kevin Bacon As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Bringing a joke from Guardians of the Galaxy full circle almost eight years later, Peter’s hero Kevin Bacon finally appears. However, it’s kind of against his will, because Drax and Mantis decide to go to Earth and steal the Footloose actor to give to Chris Pratt’s character as a gift of holiday cheer.  

Miley Cyrus As Mainframe In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see a group of Ravagers approach The Guardians. One of them is a robot head named Mainframe, and it's voiced by Miley Cyrus.

Trevor Noah As Griot In Black Panther

Much like how Paul Bettany voiced J.A.R.V.I.S., Trevor Noah voiced Griot, Shuri’s artificial intelligence she uses at her lab in Wakanda in Black Panther. 

Melissa McCarthy As Hela’s Actress In Thor: Love and Thunder 

Adding to the mix of A-listers playing actors who are playing Thor characters (try saying that five times fast), Melissa McCarthy took on the role of Cate Blanchett’s Hela – the goddess of death – in Thor: Love and Thunder. She joined the theatrical company that already featured Sam Neill, Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth to reenact the events of Thor: Ragnarok in Taika Waititi’s second movie about the God of Thunder.

Kenneth Branagh As Asgardian Distress Call In Avengers: Infinity War

You probably know that Kenneth Branagh directed the first Thor movie. However, what you might not know is he provided a meaningful Easter egg for Avengers: Infinity War. He voiced the Asgardian Distress Call that was played after Thanos attacked their ship. 

Luke Hemsworth As Thor’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

Who else could play Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in an Asgardian play about the adventures of the God of Thunder and his family? Truly, picking Luke Hemsworth to play his real-life brother’s character was fantastic! The added bonus that makes all this even better is their other brother, Liam Hemsworth also auditioned to play the god back in the day. 

Bruce Campbell As Pizza Poppa In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw director Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero genre. With him came his The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, who played Pizza Poppa in the Doctor Strange movie. 

Bill Maher As Himself In Iron Man 3

During a montage of news clips in Iron Man 3, Bill Maher pops up as they’re talking about War Machine’s rebrand into The Iron Patriot. 

Charlie Cox As Daredevil In Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you saw Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on opening night, you likely heard applause when Charlie Cox made his big-screen MCU debut as Matt Murdock. While he played Daredevil for three seasons on his Netflix show, and he has returned as the character since this cameo where he was giving Peter Parker legal advice, this was the first time we’d seen Cox back in action in years. 

Tom Morello As Gaurd In Iron Man

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello made one of the first cameos in the MCU when he popped up for a quick second in Iron Man. In the movie, he played a guard in the Ten Rings camp that Tony Stark was being held at. 

Joan Rivers As Herself In Iron Man 3

Along with Bill Maher and a bunch of other TV personalities, Joan Rivers popped up to rib on War Machine’s rebranding in Iron Man 3. 

Harry Dean Stanton As Security Guard In The Avengers

In The Avengers, there’s a security guard who finds Bruce Banner after he crashes into the Earth as Hulk. That guard is played by Harry Dean Stanton, who is best known for his roles in classic films like Alien, The Green Mile, Paris Texas and Repo Man. 

Justin Theroux As Police Officer In Iron Man 2

Not only did Justin Theroux write Iron Man 2, but he also had the smallest blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it cameo, per CBR. He played one of the police officers who arrested Justin Hammer and escorted Pepper Potts off the premises toward the end of the film. 

Rob Zombie As Ravager Navigator In Guardians of the Galaxy

In many of James Gunn’s movies, Rob Zombie makes a cameo. After doing that for Slither and Super, he lent his voice to his friend's first Marvel movie by voicing a Ravager Navigator in Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Megan Thee Stallion As Herself In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

We can thank Jameela Jamil for Megan Thee Stallion’s incredible cameo in She-Hulk. The rapper appeared in an episode of the Disney+ show during a courtroom scene, and then she popped up one more time to twerk with the titular attorney. 

David Hasselhoff As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

When Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill was a kid he’d pretend that David Hasselhoff was his dad. So, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Hasselhoff was part of one of the songs on the soundtrack – “Guardians Inferno” –  and it plays during the end credits. And at the very end of those credits, you can see his face pop up as he says the final words of the song. Talk about an epic cameo.

Brett Goldstein As Hercules In Thor: Love and Thunder

In the post-credit scene for Thor: Love and Thunder, Brett Goldstein appeared as Hercules. In his brief scene, he was shown speaking with Russell Crowe’s Zeus. It was thrilling to see the Ted Lasso star show up as the son of Zeus, however, it’s been years since that happened, and he hasn’t shown up again. 

Ken Jeong As Security Guard In Avengers: Endgame

Before the Russo Brothers were making big fancy Marvel movies, they worked on Community. So, it’s always fun to see actors from that show pop up in the MCU. For example in Avengers: Endgame, Ken Jeong appeared for a quick cameo as a security guard who is watching over the storage unit that Ant-Man’s van is in. 

Nathan Fillion As Monstrous Inmate In Guardians of the Galaxy And Headpool In Deadpool And Wolverine

You can see Nathan Fillion (looking like himself) as a major member of the supporting cast in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as he plays Master Karja. However, before that, he had a cameo in James Gunn’s first Guardians movie, because he voiced “Monstrous Inmate.” After that, he voiced Headpool during the Deadpool variant fight in Deadpool and Wolverine. 

Brad Pitt As The Vanisher In Deadpool 2

Now, I fully realize Deadpool 2 wasn’t technically in the MCU, but Deadpool and Wolverine is, so this counts. One of the most fun cameos maybe ever came when Brad Pitt appeared for a split second in the Ryan Reynolds-led sequel to play The Vanisher right as he gets electrocuted. 

Joe Russo As Grieving Man In Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo are best known as the guys behind the camera who led some of the best Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame. So, in this big finale for the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Joe Russo made a cameo as part of Steve Rogers' support group. 

Yvette Nicole Brown As S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent In Avengers: Endgame

The Russo Brothers didn’t forget their roots, and included multiple members of the Community cast in their Marvel movies. This included Yvette Nicole Brown, who played a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers run into when they go back in time to steal Pym Particles. 

David Bradley As Tower Keeper In Captain America: The First Avenger

David Bradley is a legendary British character actor, and you’ll likely recognize him for his role as Filch in the Harry Potter cast or as The Doctor in various episodes of Doctor Who. He also notably played a small role as the Tower Keeper protecting the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Danny Pudi As Com Tech #1 In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo Brothers adore their Community cast, so in their first Marvel movie, they gave Danny Pudi, Abed himself, a little cameo. For a brief minute, you can see him as Com Tech #1 during the beloved Captain America sequel. 

Garrett Morris As Car Driver In Ant-Man

While Ant-Man himself is played by a comedy legend, that actor being Paul Rudd, there’s another hilarious icon in this cast. Yep, original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris (who actually dressed up as the superhero on the sketch comedy show back in the day) appeared in this movie as a man driving a car that Ant-Man fell onto, and it’s fantastic!

Matthew McConaughey As Cowboypool In Deadpool and Wolverine

When all the variants of Deadpool appeared to fight Deadpool and Wolverine, one of them was Cowboypool. Fittingly, the Western Merc with the Mouth was voiced by Matthew McConaughey.

Henry Cavill As Cavillrine In Deadpool and Wolverine

When Wade Wilson was looking for a Wolverine to bring back to his universe, he came across one version of Logan who was played by Henry Cavill. After seeing fanart of the former Superman as the X-Man, it was clear he was a good fit for the part, and it was incredible to see Deadpool and Wolverine act on the fans’ wishes. 

As you can see the range of these cameos is wide, and frankly legendary. And we’re sure that as Marvel continues to release movies and TV shows, the iconic cameos will keep coming. 

Fans of horror movies know that Evil Dead Rise marked the return of the series and a hint of where the franchise might go moving forward. But what if one of the next installments in one of the greatest horror movie franchises was handled by the House of Mouse? OK, it's probably not going to happen, but that didn’t stop one fan from posting an adorable Pixar-inspired poster of The Evil Dead, and the piece of adorable fan art got the almighty Bruce Campbell's thumbs up of approval. My only question: What would they do with the demonic tree scene? 

The iconic Ash Williams actor hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) and shared a fantastic piece originally shared by user @Jopane22 with a big thumbs up. You can take a look at the image below—it brilliantly transforms the horror series into a charming Pixar-style realism that's both adorable and yet true to the essence of the OG series. The Bubba Ho-Tep star didn't hold back on the love, captioning the post with a cheerful, "Golly, what a great idea!"

The idea of Ash battling Deadites and navigating the blood-soaked, gore-filled world that defines the series in a family-friendly setting might seem too far-fetched to picture. The franchise is renowned for some of the most terrifying scenes in horror film history, such as the infamous demonic tree scene. This chilling sequence appears in the first two original Raimi films and the 2013 reboot, depicting a tree violently trapping one of our protagonists with its deadly vines. Horror hounds with keen eyes may have noticed the groovy easter egg homage in Evil Dead Rise to the original iconic scene when the elevator attacks Ellie.

It's hard to picture Disney diving into animated horror, especially tackling something as intense as the Evil Dead. However, given the recent success at the box office and the overwhelmingly positive Rise reviews from critics for the latest installment, it's clear more chapters of the series are on the horizon. Could some of them venture into the realm of animation? After all, horror can pack a punch even in animated form. Here's a roundup of fantastic animated horror movies to prove the point.

• Coraline (2009): A stop-motion animated film that skillfully blends eerie visuals with a captivating storyline.
• ParaNorman (2012): This stop-motion animated feature offers a mix of humor and horror, making it an engaging watch for a broad audience.
• Corpse Bride (2005): Tim Burton's animated film, using stop-motion, tells a dark yet enchanting tale with a touch of romance and macabre humor.
• Monster House (2006): A computer-animated horror-comedy that brings a haunted house to life, catering to both scares and laughs.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): A classic stop-motion film that seamlessly blends elements of Halloween and Christmas, proving the versatility of animated horror.
• Spirited Away (2001): While not strictly horror, this animated masterpiece by Studio Ghibli incorporates elements of fantasy and eerie creatures, showcasing the diversity of animated storytelling.
• Mad God (2021): With a commendable 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, Mad God by Phil Tippett explores a surreal and visually stunning world.

The films above demonstrate how animated horror can be successful, so come on, Disney/Pixar, let's get the ball rolling on an Evil Dead animated installment! Wishful thinking? Perhaps. 

No animated Evil Dead is in the pipeline for upcoming horror movies, fear not – there's a slew of thrilling scares lined up for the 2023 movie release schedule. Alternatively, if you prefer getting spooked from the cozy confines of your home, why not dive into the chills of Evil Dead Rise? Catch it on streaming with a Max (formerly HBO Max) subscription.

Leading characters draw us into the movies. But every once in a while, a strong supporting player can leave us talking about their scene-stealing performances, or the untapped potential they left on the table because they didn’t get as much screen time as we thought they deserved. The following characters all stood out in their respective films. And the main thing they all have in common is that we all wish they got more time on screen, because they were so much fun.

Les Grossman

The Hollywood satire Tropic Thunder took huge swings at the entertainment industry, with a group of spoiled actors tasked with making a war picture getting mistaken for actual soldiers and getting captured behind enemy lines. But it was an unrecognizable Tom Cruise, playing tough-talking studio executive Les Grossman, who danced away with the picture. There was talk of a Les Grossman movie coming out one day. I hope that’s still on the table. 

Lester Bangs

There’s nothing better than when a young up-and-comer finds the perfect mentor. Philip Seymour Hoffman played that role to perfection in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Rock journalist Lester Bangs showed William Miller (Patrick Fugit) what his future could hold, and it wasn’t always bright. But in Hoffman’s hands, it was raw, honest, real, and very uncool.

Blake

Always be closing. It’s a mantra we can all recite because Alec Baldwin was so convincing in the movie adaptation of the brilliant stage play Glengarry Glenn Ross. His character, Blake, is supposed to be motivating a team of salesmen, played by a murderer’s row of character actors (Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Jack Lemmon). So for any actor to come in and dominate that room is impressive. Plus, the moment Blake’s gone from the screen, you immediately want him back. Leave them wanting more.   

Megan Price

It takes a lot to emerge from the pack of gifted comedians assembled for Bridesmaids and be the one that people are talking about. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph were at their peak, while Rose Byrne and Ellie Kemper were making noise leading into it. But Melissa McCarthy ripped Bridesmaids away from those ladies, partially by doing something nasty in a sink, but also by creating an unforgettable character who had quirks, compassion, and a formidable funny bone.

Floyd

We didn’t realize at the time of True Romance that we were watching an actor who would go on to become one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. But in his scant few scenes as couch surfer Floyd, Brad Pitt demonstrated his ability to completely lose himself in a character, sell a vibe, and hang with fellow heavy hitters like James Gandolfini and Christian Slater. A star was born. 

Spider-Ham

When the multiverse opened up in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) met all sorts of strange versions of his spider hero. The strangest, and most interesting, had to be the heroic Spider-Ham, a pig in costume who… ate hot dogs? Spider-Verse remains one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made, and it’s because of unexpected inclusions in the cast like this. 

Rod Tidwell

Show him the money, Jerry. At its heart, Jerry Maguire is a love story. It’s also a human journey, where a self-centered sports agent learns how to love himself again. But Jerry Maguire takes flight every time Cuba Gooding Jr. lights up the screen. His football star Rod Tidwell gives Jerry purpose, and Gooding gave Cruise the ideal foil on screen. Like so many people on this list, the role was so good, it earned him an Oscar win. Well deserved.

The Wolf

His name is Winston. He solves problems. He shows up in Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, at a time when Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) have a very big one. Harvey Keitel owns the role, but there are so many questions we have regarding The Wolf (including the party he’s throwing, his tuxedo, and how he got to be known for this task), you could easily do a Pulp Fiction spinoff all about him, and I’d watch it a thousand times.

Spike

We have a few people on this list who are bummy roommates stealing scenes by loafing around. That’s how Rhys Ifans steals Notting Hill away from Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. The film is as romantic as they come, but Ifans makes sure all of his scenes as Spike are equally hilarious.

Ken

There are so many Kens to choose from. Barbie Land has its fair share of male dolls. But I have to go with Simu Liu’s competitive Ken, who holds a grudge against Ryan Gosling’s Ken, seems to have the upperhand on him at every turn, and practically demands more screen time so we can figure out what makes this Ken tick.    

Mark Hanna

I don't exactly know what Matthew McConaughey is channeling in his The Wolf of Wall Street scene. I know it's primal. I know it's unpredictable. I know it's unlike anything I have ever seen before. And I know that the movie needed more of it... whatever it is. Now, start beating your chest. 

Captain Dickson

Ice Cube might be a teddy bear in real life, but he portrays “angry” so easily that if he were to yell at me, I’d turn into a puddle. So there’s something special about the way that he yells at Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street and its sequel. He makes it funny. Still scary. But also pretty hysterical.

Paloma

The most recent James Bond thriller, No Time to Die, was structured as a sendoff for Daniel Craig. But throughout it, we met a new 007 in Lashana Lynch, and watched Bond fight alongside a feisty agent, Paloma (Ana de Armas), who we’d love to see on screen again.

The Critic

Pixar’s classic, Ratatouille, focuses on a fledgling cook and the rat who helps him create vivid dishes. But they mostly want to please a discerning critic, who picks and chooses his moments, then excels with a return to his childhood courtesy of a bite of food that brings him back. I loved every scene with the Critic in Ratatouille, and wanted more of him. 

Nigel

The three women at the head of The Devil Wears Prada dominate the scene, Meryl Streep is flawless as a fashion editor, while Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt excel as worker bees earning her favor. But the character I wish we had more time with is Nigel, played to crisp perfection by the wonderful Stanley Tucci. He has history with Miranda Priestly, and more story to be told there. 

Rudy Reyes

In a superhero movie, all eyes are on the hero (and also usually the villain). And DC’s most recent Blue Beetle delivered plenty of exciting new twists to the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena), including leaning on his family. And in that tight-knit group we found Rudy Reyes (George Lopez), the paranoid uncle with one eye on the government who also ended up being one of the funniest characters in the DCU. More Rudy, whenever Blue Beetle shows up again in James Gunn’s comic universe. 

Grace

Edie McClurg is a legend. She created so many memorable characters in classic 1980s comedies. For the purpose of this feature, I’m going to single out the clueless receptionist Grace that she played in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. She made a pencil funny. But there has to be an extra shout out for her turn opposite Steve Martin in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The lady knew how to make the absolute most of her screen time, and it was never enough. 

Chet

The late Bill Paxton made every movie better. Be it Aliens, Apollo 13, Twister, or the hilariously bizarre Weird Science, Paxton committed fully, and demonstrated immense range. Chet might be one of the worst characters created for the screen… but he’s so deliciously evil to his brother in the teen comedy that we relished every moment Paxton was on the screen. Even when he was a blob of garbage. 

Emma Watson

This is a fun aspect of this list. Some people are able to steal scenes by playing themselves. The armageddon spoof This is the End allowed several celebrities to play enhanced versions of their Hollywood personas, and Harry Potter icon Emma Watson seemed to really enjoy lampooning her image during her too-brief cameo. 

Gin Slagel

Bernie Mac left us too soon. The man was a powerhouse comedian, a larger than life personality that owned the screen every moment he occupied it for a comedy, or even a comedic thriller (like as part of the ensembles of the Ocean’s movies). Some might forget that he was a part of Bad Santa, a holiday staple marked by Billy Bob Thornton’s memorably dark performance. But Mac’s role as mall security makes him the ideal foil for Thornton, and he needed plenty more time on the screen. 

Pizza Poppa

If there’s one thing we know about Pizza Poppa (Bruce Campbell), it’s that he gets paid. Sam Raimi loves Campbell. And we love Campbell in Raimi movies, including  when he showed up for an all-too-brief and strange (no pun intended) cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The appearance makes good use of Campbell’s physical comedy, and also leads to a spot-on end credits scene.  

The Bus Driver

There’s a trend on this list. Comedic performers who left us too soon. Chris Farley belongs on that list. And while he will always have his standalone hit in Tommy Boy, but it’s his cameos that hit me the most. I loved him in Adam Sandler’s Billy Madison as the disgruntled bus driver, who amuses himself by stealing kids’ lunches. 

Boris Podgorny

Another one of the classic mentor roles, this one appearing in Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical winner, The Fabelmans. Young Sammy Fabelman needed a voice of reason at an important point in his maturation. It came in the form of his visiting uncle (Judd Hirsch), who shared tales of the circus, and a life spent entertaining. Hirsch was a spark that ignited the story, and his absence was felt during the remainder of the film. 

T.D.K.

Mind you, almost everyone in the opening scene of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad could be on this list. They all exit the screen in spectacular fashion, and much earlier than anticipated. But I’m going with Nathan Fillion’s T.D.K., mainly because of what his power is. And if you don’t know yet, go put this movie on now and enjoy.

Large Marge

Alice Elizabeth Nunn doesn’t have a long list of acting credits. If you, like me, grew up on Tim Burton’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, though, you will remember her as Large Marge. Her legend grows by the day. So when you get to the rest stop, tell them Large Marge sent you.

Steven

John Cena has mastered the art of scene stealing. The all-star wrestler seamlessly transitioned over to the silver screen, thanks to hilarious and go-for-broke performances like the one he gives opposite Amy Schumer in Trainwreck. Part of me wishes that Cena got the girl in this movie. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. 

Gloria Cleary

I miss the days when Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson were good for an annual comedy. Wedding Crashers probably ranks as the duo’s best, and while many single out Will Ferrell’s bathrobe-wearing bachelor as the standout character, I wanted more screen time with the irascible Isla Fisher, who goes toe-to-toe with Vaughn and emerges as the most memorable comedian in this wild ensemble. 

Trudi Frazer

Quentin Tarantino is a master at creating unforgettable characters. Even one of the smaller roles will still grab you, and not let go. Young Julia Butters owns the screen opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She’s a savvy kid actor with more confidence than DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton will ever have. I want to know the type of career that Trudi went on to have, because she’s a fascinating slice of a complicated pie that only Tarantino can cook up.

Whiskey

On the surface, it seems like Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) doesn’t belong with the group that has gathered on the island in Glass Onion. But the more that you learn about her, the more you realize she has as many games to play as the rest of them. Cline leaves us wondering how Whiskey earned her seat at the table, but that’s the point of this list. Lingering questions surround almost all of these interesting characters.

Peter

Sugar Bear. Peter (Rob Delaney) is Deadpool’s favorite member of his new super-powered team, X-Force. Peter has no powers. He’s just positive, and willing to play along. He’s the best part of Deadpool 2, and the movie definitely needed more of him.

Gary

"How can that be profitable for Frito Lay?" All that Gary (Jesse Plemons) wants to do is participate in Game Night. Sure, he’s socially awkward. But given the problems that surface in the group as the movie unfurls, Gary would be an ideal player. Just, keep the blood off of his dog, please. 

Chirrut Imwe

Listen, I want more Donnie Yen in everything. He blew us away in John Wick: Chapter 4, and has a rich history of dominating Asian cinema. But it’s his blind hero in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that I think demands more time. And given the existence of Disney+ shows like Andor, I think more Donnie Yen in that Galaxy far far away is a distinct possibility. 

Thanks to Bruce Campbell's charismatic portrayal of Ash Williams, the Evil Dead series has garnered a dedicated following among fans of horror movies. The Black Friday actor’s memorable performance, complete with witty one-liners and the iconic chainsaw hand, solidified his status as an icon. However, in 2021, the slapstick icon made the decision to retire from the role, opening doors for the franchise's growth. While fans may have questioned the franchise's ability to sustain its appeal without the Ash performer, subsequent installments have proven the enduring nature of the Sam Raimi-created universe, showcasing its ability to thrive beyond a single character. Lee Cronin, who helmed the highest-grossing installment in the pentalogy of movies, Evil Dead Rise, shared his thoughts on the actor's departure, and his comments make a lot of sense.

The filmmaker addressed The Army of Darkness actor's departure during an interview with Screen Rant. Lee Cronin acknowledged the star's immense contributions to the franchise, describing him as a robust and iconic hero. He also emphasized that the Bubba Ho-Tep alum's decisions regarding the return of Ash ultimately rested with the actor himself. The filmmaker told the outlet:

Some may have mixed feelings about these comments, if we're being honest. Though one can't help but see where he's coming from, even if this breaks my fanboy heart.

What's The Likelihood Of A Campbell Return?

At the moment, it would appear that the Marvel alum has no interest in returning to the character he popularized, and his reason makes a lot of sense, even if it breaks my fan's heart. In an interview with Collider, Bruce Campbell provided great insight into the franchise's future and the creative desire to keep things going, even without him in front of the camera. (though his voice was seemingly heard in Evil Dead). The King of the B-movie revealed that the franchise is now delving into the world of the Deadites through the universe's cursed books, allowing for exploration in various settings, such as Rise’s urban setting.

The star made it clear that the traditional form of the series is no more, as he has retired the character of Ash due to physical constraints. Nevertheless, as filmmakers and producers, he and Sam Raimi maintain their creative drive to explore further the vast Evil Dead universe, which I find admirable.

Why Leaving Williams In The Franchise’s Ashes Makes Sense

The A.P. Bio alum’s decision to gracefully bow out sets an example in an industry where some long-running eries have overstayed their welcomes. Continuing a role past its prime can harm the franchise's integrity and dilute its impact. The recent release of the fifth Indiana Jones movie features an 80-year-old Harrison Ford. While reviewed positively by some critics, others, like myself, consider it an example of the importance of knowing when to step aside. While it's exciting to see our beloved heroes return to the screen, there comes a point where stepping away shows respect for the character and loyal fans. We should normalize this practice. Numerous series have suffered from lingering past their peak, losing their essence without key players. However, thanks to Bruce Campbell's choice, the Evil Dead franchise has an opportunity to navigate this transition thoughtfully. Which, I think, is pretty groovy.

So ultimately, the fate of everyone's favorite wise-cracking chainsaw-wielding Deadite slayer rests with the star who made him famous. Although I wouldn't mind seeing the character return, I'm thrilled about the new directions the franchise is taking, like Lee Cronin’s take, attracting new fans and performing well at the box office. I'm eager to see what the future holds for the series.

Evil Dead Rise is now available on Digital HD, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K UHD on June 27. Additionally, the entire franchise is now streaming for those wit a Max subscription. 

Stephen King had a big hand in launching the Hollywood career of Bruce Campbell. After all, he was not only one of the first big names to highlight the genius of director Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (writing a pre-release article about it for Twilight Zone Magazine), but he also had a key role in the development of Evil Dead II. King has been a fan of his fellow genre legend for decades now, which is why it is not at all surprising that he would have an outraged reaction to the beloved actor openly – albeit comedically – considering retirement.

It was on this day in 1958 that Bruce Campbell was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, and this being his 65th birthday inspired the actor to post a message on his personal Twitter page about possibly saying goodbye to showbusiness. Uploading a photo of Ash Williams from the horrific and awesome TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead, Campbell wrote, "Okay, so I’m 65 today. Time to retire, I guess. Thanks for watching!" But Stephen King responded with a Quote Tweet suggesting that the actor/producer not even joke about the idea:

To be fair, Stephen King has previously considered retirement himself, but his passion for writing has ceased to let him say goodbye to his craft. Between his novels, non-fiction, and collections, he has written over 80 books during the course of his career, and at the age of 75 he will have his latest – titled Holly – in stores this fall.

The best news of all here is that Bruce Campbell's message about retirement reads like a joke, as it would be a blow to pop culture if we were to never get to see him pop up in movies or TV again given that he is one of cinematic horror's great icons. He's recently been playing around in the Evil Dead universe again (he has an uncredited voice-only role in Evil Dead Rise and reprises Ash Williams in 2022's Evil Dead: The Game), and last year he reunited with Sam Raimi for a cameo in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

It's a good thing that Campbell isn't retiring, as there us still a lot that he can do as an actor – potentially including a Stephen King adaptation. Despite his career being linked to King's name from the jump, he has never been in a King movie or TV show, and that's a situation that needs to be rectified. Sam Raimi has suggested that he'd be game to develop one of the author's books at some point in the future, so perhaps his #1 star can join in on the fun. It would be an amazing thing to see such a project actually move forward, regardless of the source material chosen.

While a horror icon through and through, Ash Williams is the kind of everyman character that one might think would be easy to squeeze into just about any franchise. Perhaps that's why Mortal Kombat fans have long campaigned to see the "groovy" hero appear in the franchise, with the latest rumors tied to hopes that he'll be playable in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 12. Well, Bruce Campbell just shared his thoughts on the possibility of Ash crossing over into that game's universe, and wasn't cryptic in the slightest about how he felt about it. 

You won't see Ash Williams in Evil Dead Rise, even if you may hear him if you listen hard enough, and fans apparently won't see him holding his own in Mortal Kombat 12, either. Bruce Campbell dashed the hopes of any fighting-game enthusiasts with chainsaw dreams, and flat-out rejected the idea of Ash appearing in non-Evil Dead video games (or any other franchises, it sounds like) during an interview with AV Club. In his words:

Bruce Campbell is receptive to the idea of bringing iconic characters from other horror franchises into the world of Evil Dead, but he's not into the business venture of loaning Ash out to other games. Campbell didn't expound on that thought specifically, but one would imagine that he's intent on keeping the universe's creative tangents fall under the guidance of Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, and a possible lack of trust in giving another company the rights to do what they want with Ash. Campbell probably doesn't care as much about taking a shit on Jason or Freddy in the Dead-verse so long as Ash is the one doing the squatting.

Bruce Campbell's stance of being protective of Ash is perhaps surprising, especially given the willingness of brands to cross-promote in gaming. Fortnite is a game that practically runs on promotions and has skins for multiple characters from franchises like Deadpool to Will Smith's Mike Lowery from Bad Boys. But Campbell is more old school than any of that, and doesn't have a need to see Ash taking on every other hero in pop culture. 

What fans of Mortal Kombat want is not so uncommon, but obviously, Campbell is free to have his opinion. That's not to say his opinion will never change, but it'd probably take another version of Campbell to convince him. 

This may be the most disappointing news for Evil Dead fans since Bruce Campbell officially retired as Ash Williams on the live-action front. The character's run concluded after Starz opted not to continue the much-beloved Ash vs. Evil Dead. As such, one of the only ways people are able to see the character anymore is by checking out the Evil Dead movies on streaming and/or putting one's gaming skills to use in last year's Evil Dead video game, which features the as-of-now final Ash performance from the Burn Notice vet. 

If Ash Williams isn't allowed in other video games, and Bruce Campbell is done playing the character in live-action, it may be time for fans to accept the character is just officially retired. Then again, Campbell did specifically mention the idea of doing more video games, and people always change their minds in Hollywood. Hell, we're living in a world where Hugh Jackman is returning to play Wolverine after a near-perfect exit for the character, so I'd like to believe anything can happen. 

Evil Dead Rise is in theaters now, and while it lacks Ash, it's loaded with Evil Dead easter eggs fans of him will appreciate. Check out the movie, and see how it stacks up against the other movies in the franchise. 

The Evil Dead movies are considered by many fans to be the greatest horror movie franchise of all time for its uniquely grotesque depiction of demonic possession, cheekily cartoonish approach to gore (in some cases), and — most of all — being one one of the few series in the genre without a single disappointing installment. As far as I (and most critics) are concerned, the intense fifth entry, Evil Dead Rise — which sees writer and director Lee Cronin take over from executive producer and franchise creator Sam Raimi — continues that bloody streak and, quite frankly, I would really like it to stay that way.

Considering how well the latest chapter did at the box office in its opening weekend, there is a good chance that the “ultimate experience in grueling terror” is far from over. Such a possibility has me positively ecstatic, but also cautiously optimistic, because, if we are going to see more Evil Dead movies, I would want them done right. So, if I were Raimi, or Bruce Campbell, or whoever they choose to helm the next installment, this is how I might handle it. 

Stick With The Anthology Route

From the moment when the sequel was first announced, Evil Dead Rise already marked a major milestone in the franchise by going where no installment had gone before: a Los Angeles apartment complex. With the exception of 1992’s medieval adventure fantasy, Army of Darkness, of course, and the bulk of the spin-off TV show, Ash vs. Evil Dead, the series has typically been set in a cabin in the woods, which made the urban setting a very welcome change of pace in my eyes. In fact, I would not mind if future installments continue to stay out of the woods, among other more refreshing elements.

That being said, I do like the idea of another movie set in the past — not necessarily another time travel movie like Army of Darkness, but a prequel to the original classic from 1981 that goes even deeper into the lore of the Necronomicon and sees characters forced to use more primitive weaponry against Deadites — a la Prey — instead of chainsaws and boomsticks. A key factor in my pitch here, as well, is the involvement of new characters — an element of both Fede Alvarez’s 2013 reboot and Evil Dead Rise that I also really enjoyed and crave more of in the franchise.

My point here, essentially, is that I believe the world of the Evil Dead franchise is one of great versatility with potential to tell many different stories involving new characters, new tones, and in a variety of interesting places that do not need to be a woodland vacation home. Seeing the franchise evolve into an anthology, with each installment set in the same universe, is an idea that really excites me if it becomes true. Of course, it would require a certain sacrifice that I already know would have some fans pissed off. 

Keep Ash Retired

I remember seeing a lot of preemptive grumblings over the announcement of 2013’s Evil Dead — not just because of the reputation for horror movie remakes (even though it just barely counts as a definitive remake), but because it would not be starring Bruce Campbell as Ash. As I recall, Evil Dead Rise came under fire from some die-hard fans of the horror movie icon for the same reason. Well, I can tell you that I was certainly not one of those people and, in fact, the absence of the chainsaw-handed hero had me even more excited for the new horror movie.

Now, let me make something clear: Ashley “Ash” J. Williams is my favorite horror movie character of all time — one whom I quote endlessly and, just a few years ago, dressed up as for Halloween, complete with a battery-powered chainsaw hand with realistic sound effects. However, I recognize the fact that Campbell officially retired from the role following Starz’s cancellation of Ash vs. Evil Dead in 2018 and I have since made an effort to respect that decision, especially because — and I think we can all agree — no one else can or should play the role like him.

I think that — for Bruce’s sake, especially — it is only fair that the franchise continue without its flagship character, unless Campbell voices him in more video game adaptations or the animated series that is supposedly in development, according to Bloody-Disgusting. As for the movies, I am perfectly satisfied with having Campbell involved from behind the scenes. I think it give the franchise more of a reason to evolve and be able to stand on its own two legs.

Go Easier On The Easter Eggs

Speaking of being able to stand on its own two legs, I must admit that I actually think this is an area in which the Evil Dead movies still have some room to grow. What I mean by that is, for example, there came a point during Evil Dead Rise when the umpteenth reference to one of the previous installments came up and I almost found myself asking, Are all of these really necessary?

I am certainly not anti-Easter-Egg and I really enjoyed picking out all the ways the Evil Dead Rise Easter Eggs paid tribute to previous films — especially Campbell’s vocal cameo and how the chainsaw Beth (Lily Sullivan) uses is the same color as Ash’s car (which is also in, just about, every one of Sam Raimi’s movies). I also love the way Jane Levy’s Mia wears a Michigan University T-Shirt (similar to Linda’s sweatshirt in the original) and reimagines key scenes from the franchise in very inventive ways. Yet, what I admire about these homages is their subtlety and the way they fit into the story organically.

I do not feel that all of the Easter Eggs in Evil Dead Rise land in that way — such as how Beth almost randomly utters the Army of Darkness quote “Come get some!” at one point. Thus, I think it might be in the franchise’s favor to put more attention towards each forthcoming film’s own subject material and less in how they can wedge in a few familiar quotes and hints. 

Go Darker

As for what I admired the most about Evil Dead Rise: I think it perfectly nails the tone of the original from 1981 by being yet another viscerally horrifying and relentlessly gory work of art, while also intensifying the emotional trauma by making it a family story involving a possessed mother preying on her own children. The last film in the franchise to stick the landing like that for me was, well, the last film in the franchise: the 2013 reboot, which I think is still is the darkest and most brutal of the bunch. That being said, I would honestly love to see them up the ante a little bit.

You see, as much I love Evil Dead II as one of the best horror-comedy movies ever made (if not the best) and think Army of Darkness is an absolute blast of cartoonish fun, I still prefer the more earnest films in the series so far over both of them. In fact, if Ash vs. Evil Dead was the last sign of any overt humor in this franchise, I would be more than OK with that.

I recognize and respect that I am more in the minority with this issue and a part of me is open to see the Evil Dead movies bring back that “splatterstick” tone. However, I would rather Raimi be the one to handle that and that would mean bringing Campbell out of retirement and I do not see that happening for a a live-action film, at least. Therefore, I think it is best to follow in the footsteps of Alvarez and Cronin and continue to plunge the series deeper into darkness on the big screen.

With each new installment, the Evil Dead movies continue to prove that they are the greatest horror movies of all time, for my money. I will spend the rest of my years watching these thrillers on streaming on various occasions and I look forward to seeing the marathons grow longer and longer. Let’s see how groovy the next experience in grueling terror turns out to be. 

Because they successfully manage to be both scary and funny, all of the Evil Dead movies are incredible cinematic experiences, but as franchise legend Bruce Campbell has said many times, they are much more fun to watch than they are to make. If you’re an actor in one of the films, you are not only run through the ringer emotionally, but also physically; there are always complicated stunts to pull off, not to mention all of the makeup and the gallons and gallons of fake blood. Having made three features as well as the television series Ash vs. Evil Dead, Campbell is certainly an authority on the subject – but do stars Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan feel the same way following their time making Evil Dead Rise?

As seen in the video above, I had the pleasure of interviewing the two actors earlier this month during the virtual press day for the new horror movie, and the first thing I asked was for their take on whether or not Evil Dead films are fun to make. Speaking from the Deadite perspective, as her character gets possessed relatively early in the runtime, Alyssa Sutherland explained that she had a blast on set, which was partially because she was doing a lot of the scaring instead of being scared. Partially agreeing with Bruce Campbell’s take, she said,

In Evil Dead Rise, Alyssa Sutherland’s Ellie is a mother of three children who gets possessed by evil forces shortly after her sister, Beth (played by Lily Sullivan) comes to town. With mommy suddenly having the urge to cut open her kids and eat their souls, Beth is thrust into the position of protector – which means a lot of Sullivan running around and screaming while being covered in blood.

There are parallels that can be drawn between the journeys of Lily Sullivan’s Beth and Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams from the original Evil Dead trilogy – which partially explains why Sullivan was able to connect more deeply with Campbell’s perspective than Alyssa Sutherland during the making of Evil Dead Rise. She told me that the work was grueling, but added that all of the action in the third act made up for everything:

I followed up asking about Beth’s big chainsaw moment in the third act of the movie, and Sullivan explained that the finale was essentially a carrot dangling on a stick for her throughout production:

Continuing, Lily Sullivan explained that writer/director Lee Cronin was able to schedule the production so that scenes were being shot in chronological order (one of the blessings of having one primary setting), so she got to take Beth through hell and back to earn her spectacular hero moments in the end. Said Sullivan,

Evil Dead Rise may have been a challenging movie to make, but it all seems like it was worth it in the end – with the film earning widespread critical acclaim and having a terrific opening weekend at the box office. 

Check out the exciting feature at a cinema near you, and head over to our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to discover all of the big titles heading to the big screen in the coming weeks and months.

After the theatrical release of Sam Raimi’s Army Of Darkness in 1993, it appeared that Evil Dead did not have a future as a movie franchise. Though both The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II had gained cult followings during the 1980s, the second sequel did not perform well at all on the big screen, and the idea of continuing the adventures of hero Ashley J. Williams was not sellable. As I noted in last week’s column about the 2013 Evil Dead reboot/remake, this thankfully didn’t derail the careers of the filmmakers involved, as Raimi, producer Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell all found continued success through the 1990s – both furthering their individual careers and still collaborating (for example, Raimi and Tapert produced the shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, which featured Campbell as the recurring character Autolycus.)

But the dream of making an Evil Dead 4/Army Of Darkness 2 never totally left their minds. The horror franchise may have seemed lifeless from an outsider perspective, but Sam Raimi and his brother Ivan (who co-wrote the script for Army Of Darkness) continued to pursue different ideas and work on multiple drafts of a screenplay. As they describe on the commentary track for the first episode of Ash vs. Evil Dead, one idea for a follow-up had Ash as a documentary filmmaker traveling the country trying to tell people his story, and another was a futuristic sci-fi tale called Ash vs. The Machines.

This passion served the Evil Dead creators well, because time was on their side. Army Of Darkness may not have been an instant hit when it played in theaters, but the expanding home video market and the rise of the internet at the end of the 20th century changed its pop culture legacy. As Sam Raimi recounts on the Ash vs. Evil Dead commentary, it was Bruce Campbell who was the first of the core trio to discover extreme growth in the fanbase:

Attempting to take advantage of this expanding appreciation was in part what led to the aforementioned Evil Dead reboot – which was, unlike Army Of Darkness, a box office hit, making $97.5 million worldwide from a $17 million budget (per Box Office Mojo). Rather than the success perpetuating the development of a direct sequel, however, a pivot was inspired, both in terms of continuity and medium. Rob Tapert explains in the commentary,

When Rob Tapert pitched the idea to Sam Raimi during a barbecue around 2013, not only was it an idea that engaged the imaginations of the filmmakers, but television was seen as a kind of natural progression for Evil Dead. While Raimi is best known for his work making features, he acknowledged that Bruce Campbell had cemented an impressive reputation on the small screen that would help the project, the actor not only appearing on shows like Xena and Hercules but also the popular USA spy series Burn Notice.

The original target for Ash vs. Evil Dead was Netflix, as Rob Tapert had read that the Evil Dead movies were extremely popular on the service – but when they passed, Starz became a target. Tapert and Raimi had previous experience with the premium cable network, having produced the series Spartacus, and they were willing to give the project the one thing that the filmmakers demanded above all else. Raimi’s words,

Co-starring Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, and Lucy Lawless opposite Bruce Campbell, the show had its hiccups. Rights issues with Universal Pictures meant that there couldn’t be any references made to the events in Army Of Darkness; showrunner Craig DiGregorio was replaced by Mark Verheiden after Season 2 due to creative clashes with Rob Tapert; and the series wasn’t able to complete its five-season vision, as it was canceled shortly before the airing of the Season 3 finale. All that being said, Ash vs. Evil Dead can be reflected upon as a dream-like gift for fans who never thought the hero’s journey would continue after the end of the film trilogy, and it’s an unmissable part of Evil Dead’s History And Legacy.

How Ash Vs. Evil Dead Fits Into The Evil Dead Franchise

As horror franchises started moving to television in the 2010s, multiple different tactics were taken in regards to canon and continuity. It was an era of prequels (Bates Motel), re-adaptations (Hannibal), and total reboots (Scream: The TV Series). Ash vs. Evil Dead stands out from the pack because of its maintained connections to the past. The medieval adventures of Ash Williams are never discussed because of the conflict with Universal, but a concentrated effort is made to keep everything connected – and it even finds ways to humorously point at the incongruities that exist between The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II.

What additionally makes Ash’s return so special, though, is the way in which Ash vs. Evil Dead is able to resurrect the best version of the character. As I noted in my column about Army Of Darkness, Sam Raimi has said that he disengages with Ash in the third act of the film because he evolves into a typical hero after being much more interesting as a cad/weenie/dolt. The protagonist on the show has his moments as a champion and delivers an endless stream of badass, confident one-liners, but it never betrays who he really is, and it earns a lot of love for that.

Ash vs. Evil Dead finds terrific ways to both build on the existing lore and add to the beloved aesthetics and style. On the former front, we get to learn a great deal more about the history and capabilities of the Necronomicon (particularly through the introduction of Lucy Lawless’ Ruby), and Season 2 even pulls off some time travel that has the characters go back to the early 1980s and visit the notorious cabin in the woods before young Ash’s fateful arrival. As for the latter, Sam Raimi only directed the show’s pilot, but his auteur trademarks that were established in the early Evil Dead films are still peppered throughout the 30-episode run, and, of course, there are gallons upon gallons of fake blood as the heroes are constantly put in both horrifying and disgusting circumstances in the on-going war against the Deadites.

How Ash Vs. Evil Dead Fits Into The History Of Horror

While Rob Tapert doesn’t mention it in the commentary track, one has to imagine that a motivating factor in bringing Evil Dead to the small screen in the mid-‘00s was because it was an ongoing trend at the time for horror franchises. In the burgeoning golden age of television, serial storytelling was recognized as an exciting creative avenue that could provide fans with more content than big screen releases (case in point, the 30 episodes of Ash vs. Evil Dead equals about 15 hours of scary fun, while the combined running time for the theatrical cuts of the original Evil Dead trilogy is a little over four hours).

What makes the show particularly special for its era, however, is the fact that it’s not only a part of the wave of IP-driven horror television, but also the on-going legacyquel trend. The most fashionable thing that franchises can do nowadays is develop new chapters that feature the return of classic characters, and while movies like J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ryan Coogler’s Creed, and David Gordon Green’s Halloween are viewed as trendsetters, it should be recognized that Ash vs. Evil Dead technically predates all of them.

How Ash Vs. Evil Dead Changes Its Franchise's Canon And Future

While there are three movies featuring Bruce Campbell’s Ashley J. Williams, none of them make a point of digging into the actual life of the character beyond his nightmarish experiences – but that’s a freedom that Ash vs. Evil Dead has thanks to the expanded runtime real estate. The events of Army Of Darkness are ignored, but through the course of the show we learn about Ash’s horrible life after returning to his hometown of Elk Grove, Michigan following the incident at the cabin – where he is given the nickname “Ashy Slashy” and tormented until he is forced to run away. Lee Majors is terrific as Ash’s father, Brock Williams, and we even learn what the “J” initial stands for: Joanna.

As for how Ash vs. Evil Dead will impact the future of the Evil Dead franchise… that’s a story that has not yet been fully written. While the canon is expanding with the arrival of Evil Dead Rise, the 2023 film doesn’t do anything that overlaps or interferes with anything that developed from the Starz show, so the door is open for continuation. Ray Santiago and Dana DeLorenzo have already reprised their respective roles as Pablo Simon Bolivar and Kelly Maxwell in Evil Dead: The Game, and Bruce Campbell has spoken about the possibility of the show being revived in animation.

Is Ash Vs. Evil Dead A Good Horror TV Series In General?

I can’t say for certain how Ash vs. Evil Dead would play for an individual who is wholly new to the Evil Dead given the fact that it heavily leans on the established lore – but at the same time, I’d like to think that it’s a show that any horror could fall in love with. Silly as Ash may be, Bruce Campbell is endlessly magnetic in the role and there isn’t even the briefest of moments where the shtick gets old. And while it can be incredibly challenging to introduce exciting new characters into an established franchise, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo and Lucy Lawless are all phenomenal in dynamic and fun roles that each work as terrific foils to Ash.

The heroes and villains are what make the show great, but the approach to horror is what makes it special. Season 1 is a bit repetitive in its unleashing of Deadites that Ash, Pablo and Kelly have to dispatch in excessively bloody action, but once Ash vs. Evil Dead finds its groove, it gets exceptionally creative… and disgusting (also: watching Ash use his chainsaw and boomstick never gets old). And while it may not have been able to run for the full five seasons that the creators wanted, it should be known that the end of Season 3 still provides as satisfying conclusion and doesn’t torture audiences with an unsatisfied cliffhanger.

How To Watch Ash Vs. Evil Dead

As you probably could have guessed, Ash vs. Evil Dead is available to stream via Starz – which includes not only their direct subscription service, but also add-ons through Amazon, Hulu, YouTube TV and more. You can also stream the show with a Netflix subscription. Individual episodes and seasons are available for purchase via Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV, and physical media collectors can pick up a copy of the Blu-ray box set.

With the highly anticipated Evil Dead Rise set to arrive in theaters everywhere this Friday, this Evil Dead-centric feature series is now coming to an end… but there are still a lot more stories to tell from Horror’s History and Legacy. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend in the coming weeks as I launch the next installment of this column centering on another iconic scary movie franchise.

Evil Dead, which debuted more than 40 years ago, has cemented its position as one of the most highly regarded horror movies among fans of the genre. The red band trailer for the franchise's fifth installment, Evil Dead Rise, suggests that the movie will deliver ample amounts of disturbing chaos and gore and be a worthy successor to the previous movies. Though it looked as if the newest installment was ditching the cabin in the woods and the franchise’s iconic hero Ash Williams (played by Bruce Campbell), the film’s director Lee Cronin says the fan-favorite actor with the chin does make a small cameo in Rise. And after hearing what the filmmaker had to say about it, one has to wonder if Ash is indeed appearing.

Lee Cronin discussed his new movie with NME and revealed how the beloved Bubba Ho-Tep star came to be a part of another entry in the franchise. The director admits it’s a blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it cameo, even going so far as to issue a cash prize to fans who can spot it. But that aside, what really stands out about these comments is what he teased in regard to the identity of Bruce Campbell's character in Evil Dead Rise. Cronin told the publication: 

This revelation will surely send longtime Evil Dead devotees into a frenzy, giving way to speculation about what his potential return could mean for the film and the franchise. If he is indeed meant to be Ash, it would mark the first time the actor has taken on the part he popularized since he officially retired the character back in 2018.

Should that be the case, there are several things that would need to be considered. Will he have a significant role moving forward, or if Rise is successful and there are subsequent outings in the series, would Ash make brief appearances as a simple homage to the franchise’s legacy? Or perhaps the fan-favorite hero won’t return at all, and Bruce Campbell (executive producer on the movie) will remain retired in the role. The Army of Darkness star has yet to confirm or deny his involvement in Rise. However, the mere possibility of Campbell's return in any respect is sure to excite horror fans everywhere. I know this horror hound, for one, is very pumped about the possibilities for the Evil saga moving forward. 

According to the official summary of Evil Dead Rise, the upcoming horror movie will take place in an urban setting, as a woman faces the daunting task of safeguarding her nieces and nephews from their demon-possessed mother. This premise aligns with the Spider-Man alum's previous comments about the film, in which he suggested that it would introduce a new playing field for the franchise.

Fans will have to wait until the film’s release to find out for sure whether or not Bruce Campbell’s cameo is substantive. Luckily, “Deadites” won’t have to wait long, because Evil Dead Rises bursts into theaters on April 21. In the meantime, fans can continue to speculate and theorize about what his return could mean, if anything, or check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to plan your next trip to the cinema. 

In the vast majority of cases, studios develop sequels because they want to take advantage of the popularity of previously released films, but director Sam Raimi’s Army Of Darkness exists as a strange exception. Unlike Evil Dead II, which Raimi resisted developing until after his second feature was a disastrous flop, Army Of Darkness was a follow-up that the filmmaker wanted to make in collaboration with producer Rob Tapert and star/producer Bruce Campbell, and he even had a franchise-fitting title in mind: The Medieval Dead.

In the early 1990s, Universal Pictures (which had produced Raimi’s 1990 film, Darkman) decided that they wanted to make Raimi, Tapert, and Campbell’s movie… but minus all of the baggage from its two predecessors. Continuity would be maintained within the actual film, but a new title was demanded that would allow it to be marketed as a standalone. According to the home video commentary track, it was The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II producer Irvin Shapiro who came up with Army Of Darkness.

With a script co-written by Raimi and his brother, Ivan, the film went into production in the Los Angeles area, and it was a grueling experience for both the cast and crew. Principal photography lasted for more than 100 days, and not only was time on set filled with complicated effects, makeup application, extra wrangling, battle sequences, and fight choreography, but most of work was done at night. It was a far more organized and structured effort than what was executed in the making of The Evil Dead, but it was a marathon – and one that led into far more post-production complications.

The movie was shot in the summer of 1991, but it first sat on a shelf following completion because Dino De Laurentiis, a key producer on both Evil Dead II and Army Of Darkness, was in the midst of a legal battle with Universal concerning the rights to the character of Hannibal Lecter (the former having produced director Michael Mann’s Manhunter and the latter having made director Jonathan Demme’s Silence Of The Lambs). According to the documentary, Medieval Times: The Making Of Army Of Darkness, that issue was eventually resolved, putting gears back into motion for the second Evil Dead sequel… but then the studio started test screening the movie.

Some of the best sequences were significantly edited by the studio (the theatrical cut is about 15 minutes shorter than the director’s cut), but Universal’s big takeaway from early Army Of Darkness screenings was insistence that the ending that had been shot was too bleak – featuring Ash using a sleeping potion to return to the 20th century, but accidentally taking too much and waking up in an apocalyptic future. In Medieval Times, Bruce Campbell explains that it was meant to be a setup for an Evil Dead 4, but the studio couldn’t be convinced to keep it:

A new final sequence was shot, with Ash making his way back to the present and successfully neutralizing a Deadite attack at the big box store where he works. And despite being the result of a compromise, it’s remarkably badass.

Lastly, there was the conflict with the Motion Picture Association of America. The Evil Dead franchise had previously been able to skirt around the ratings board, going as far as to invent a fake distributor to put out Evil Dead II, but that wasn’t happening with the Universal-produced Army Of Darkness, and as Campbell explains in Medieval Times, the MPAA saw the film as an opportunity for revenge:

Finally hitting theaters in February 1993 sporting an R-rating, Army Of Darkness was far from a hit – making $11.5 million globally while sporting a $13 million reported budget – but it is a film that time is exceptionally kind to, and it’s a key part of Evil Dead’s History and Legacy.

Why Army Of Darkness Is The Third Best Movie In The Evil Dead Franchise

If I was a hardcore Evil Dead fan going to see Army Of Darkness when it first came out, I’m not totally sure I would have known what to make of it. It certainly continues the story from the first two installments in the series, but it’s a wholly different cinematic experience – one that limits on-screen blood to a single geyser in the first act and has a third act overflowing with Ray Harryhausen-esque fighting skeletons.

Time, however, lets us see and respect the macro tonal trajectory that Raimi, Campbell, Tapert and their cohorts orchestrated with the movies and express tremendous gratitude for it. It doesn’t quite match the highs of The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, rendering it the third best feature in the franchise thus far, but it is an amazing, silly ride that features Campbell’s greatest and most memorable turn as Ash Williams.

A huge part of this is the work that’s done by special effects. Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman, and Howard Berger follow up their phenomenal work with Raimi & Co. on Evil Dead II by crafting even more memorable and freaky monsters (the dead eyes and gaping maw of the Pitch Witch being particularly unforgettable), and their designs are matched by what Tony Gardner is able to do with Ash (in both comedic and horrific capacities). Through and through, Army Of Darkness is brimming with remarkable and special filmmaking craft – and as we don’t see many films like it today thanks to advances in digital effects, time has made it only more impressive, and much of it seems like magic.

Raimi acknowledges on the film’s commentary track that he personally disengages with Ash as a protagonist in the third act as he becomes a more traditional big screen hero – but I’d argue that Army Of Darkness more finds a way to have its cake and eat it too with the on-screen talents of Campbell. There are plenty of scenes of the character being a total weenie/dolt who is being endlessly abused by evil forces (Raimi’s favorite mode), but the movie also embraces the natural charm and charisma of the star by letting him exhibit some impressive physical skills and deliver more than a few brilliant one-liners. Hail to the king.

How Army Of Darkness Fits Into The History Of Horror

Of all the installments in the Evil Dead franchise, Army Of Darkness strays away from horror the most… and it’s funny that the pivot is unintentionally timed to a down era for the genre (a time that arguably could have really used a great and scary Evil Dead movie).

As I wrote about in my feature centering on Wes Craven’s Scream (the first installment of this Horror History and Legacy column), the early 1990s is not reflected upon as being a memorable time for cinematic scares. Thanks in large part to the slasher genre, the 1980s was in many ways a golden era, but by the early years of the next decade there was a lot of burnout that came as a result of repetitive stories and too many sequels. There was a pervasive lack of quality (with some key exceptions, of course), and helping nothing was dwindling audience interest and ticket sales.

While more fantasy/adventure than horror, Army Of Darkness certainly performed like scary movies of the era during its theatrical run – but like a lot of other terrific films of the time that were under appreciated upon their initial release, the movie eventually found a cult following thanks to home video and the ever-growing Evil Dead fandom, which, decades later, led to the franchise’s revival in the 2010s (which I’ll be digging into starting next week).

How Army Of Darkness Changes Its Franchise’s Canon And Future

As will be further discussed in a couple of weeks in my column about the TV series, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Army Of Darkness’ position in the canon is a bit strange. Because the movie was made and distributed by Universal Pictures, the Starz-developed show didn’t have the rights to directly reference it or follow it up, forcing the filmmakers to dance around it. In advance of the third season airing in 2018, Bruce Campbell explained to Den Of Geek,

Because of the rights issues, Army Of Darkness specifically doesn’t have a major impact on the continuity that follows it… but, of course, a lack of strict continuity has always been a part of the Evil Dead franchise’s charm. Evil Dead II is a semi-remake of The Evil Dead that changes a lot of key details (a result of the production not legally being able to use footage from its predecessor), and it’s hard not to notice that the end of Evil Dead II, where Ash is hailed as a savior after shooting a Deadite out of the sky, is disregarded at the start of Army Of Darkness.

At the very least one could say that the film reinforces the key qualities of Ash Williams as a protagonist in the franchise, painting him as equal parts heel, ham, and hero.

Is Army Of Darkness A Good Horror Movie In General?

Judging Army Of Darkness as a horror movie is complicated because, as noted, that’s not really where its focus is. If one were to limit it to a single genre designation, it’s definitely more of an adventure story. Anyone watching it expecting the level of scares and gore from The Evil Dead or Evil Dead II is going to be disappointed – but at the same time, there is still plenty to appreciate here by a genre aficionado who appreciates the many flavors of horror.

While not explicitly scary, the Deadite showdowns that Ash has throughout the movie are made plenty freaky by the fantastic creature design done by KNB EFX Group, and I can’t imagine that there is a single cinephile on the planet who can’t have at least a baseline appreciation for the brilliant effect that sees “Bad Ash” grow out of “Good Ash’s” shoulder.

How To Watch Army Of Darkness

Those of you who are aiming to catch up with the Evil Dead movies in advance of Evil Dead Rise hitting theaters should note that Army Of Darkness is not presently available on any of the major subscription streaming services, but there are many options to watch. On the digital front, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV and Google Play all offer it, but they only offer the theatrical cut. If you’re looking to watch the film in each of its many forms – including the theatrical cut, the international cut, the TV cut, and the director’s cut – you should definitely pick up a copy of the 4K Collector’s Edition that was released by Scream Factory in 2022.

As alluded to earlier, next week’s installment of Evil Dead’s History and Legacy will be doing a leap forward in time as we go from Army Of Darkness in 1993 to the brutal insanity of director Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead remake from 2013. Look for the feature next Thursday in the CinemaBlend Movies section.

Sam Raimi didn’t want to make Evil Dead II. Along with his cohorts Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert, the director had made an indelible mark on the filmmaking world with the 1982/1983 release of The Evil Dead, and he had aspirations to make a lot of different kinds of movies (which he would subsequently do). Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as planned career-wise for the trio, and a hand was forced. 

Teaming up with screenwriters Joel and Ethan Coen, Raimi, Campbell and Tapert made 1985’s Crimewave as their follow-up to The Evil Dead, and it was a disaster. While the movie has found an audience in the decades since, the production was filled with conflict as the filmmakers clashed with studio executives (a rough follow-up to the arduous experience making their feature debut) and it ended up being a box office bomb. As recounted in the documentary Swallowed Souls: The Making Of Evil Dead II, the Michigan-born friends needed to restore their Hollywood reputations in the aftermath, and the clear path to doing so was making an Evil Dead II.

While an initial script draft for the sequel was written by friends Scott Spiegel and Josh Becker with Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert attached to produce, that version was rejected, and eventually Raimi made the decision to get back into the driver’s seat. In addition to directing, he co-wrote a new screenplay with Spiegel, and their shared goofy sensibilities had a significant impact on the work – with Evil Dead II featuring an emphasis on Three Stooges-esque physical comedy to pair with all of the extreme horror.

As far as actually getting the film produced, Stephen King once again had a role to play, having previously supported the original The Evil Dead by writing a piece about it for Twilight Zone Magazine following the movie’s premiere at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. In the early 1980s, producer Dino De Laurentiis was a major name in producing adaptations of King’s work, and that includes King’s 1986 directorial debut Maximum Overdrive. According to Evil Dead II studio manager David Goodman, it was on the set of that notorious feature that the beloved sequel took major steps towards getting made. Goodman explains in Swallowed Souls,

Originally from Italy, Dino De Laurentiis had a particular interest in the potential of international box office during his filmmaking career, and the success that The Evil Dead had outside of North America prior to its domestic debut made a significant impression. According to Bruce Campbell, unproductive conversations about the sequel were had with other studios at the time, but it took all of 15 minutes for a deal to be done with De Laurentiis. Even better, foreign sales arranged by the producer resulted in the film being considered profitable even before the start of production.

Sam Raimi took a lot away from his chaotic experiences making The Evil Dead and Crimewave, and he made specific efforts to avoid issues while working with the cast and crew in Wadesboro, North Carolina – and he was successful for the most part. It wasn’t without some turmoil, however, as described by Bruce Campbell. Though there was a lot of comradery on the set, some members of the production questioned Raimi’s vision for Evil Dead II to the extent that the director eventually needed to fire a number of people and find replacements. The actor/producer recalls,

According to Campbell, those who stayed on were only more passionate in the aftermath to ensure that the film reached its full potential.

The filmmakers ultimately had the chance to make the movie that they wanted to make, with Sam Raimi making the crafty decision to have post-production done in Michigan – though that by itself created some complications. Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert were contracted with Dino De Laurentiis to make an R-rated movie given that De Laurentiis Entertainment Group had agreements in place with Motion Picture Association of America, but that’s not a detail to which they ever paid much attention (as was the case in the making of the controversy-stirring The Evil Dead).

It could have created an issue, but the filmmakers found a solution in the form of Rosebud Releasing: a fake distribution company. In Campbell’s words,

Evil Dead II didn’t exactly become a box office smash hit, but what it did quickly do was find a passionate cult audience. Thirty-six years later, it is now recognized as one of the greatest, most beloved, and most influential horror movies of all time – and, of course, it’s a key part of Evil Dead’s History And Legacy.

Why Evil Dead II Is The Best Movie The Evil Dead Franchise

Sam Raimi and company took big swings with Evil Dead II. You’d think that pressure to make a hit would have resulted in the filmmakers trying to replicate their previous success by following a formula, but there is nothing about the sequel that is formulaic. While still being horrific, scary, and (literally) overflowing with gore, it embraces ridiculousness in the most phenomenal fashion, and the result is entertainment so blissfully brilliant that it’s dizzying.

As noted in last week’s column, the Evil Dead franchise is difficult to define as a result of the vast differences that exist in each entry, but Evil Dead II is where it’s at its peak and most iconic – from Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams sporting his sawed-off shotgun and wrist-mounted chainsaw, to the laughing cabin, to the horrors of the Deadites brilliantly crafted by geniuses Greg Nicotero, Robert Kurtzman, Howard Berger, and Mark Shostrom (particularly the monstrous Henrietta, played by Ted Raimi under extreme prosthetics). When people think of Evil Dead, they think of Evil Dead II.

Story-wise, it’s certainly a strange chapter of the franchise due to its relationship with the events that transpire in The Evil Dead (more on that in a bit), but none of the other movies nor the TV show – as great as they all are – hit the tremendous highs of filmmaking skill and fun that are accomplished in the 1987 release.

How Evil Dead II Fits Into The History Of Horror

Released into theaters in March 1987, Evil Dead II came out during a big boom time for the horror genre, with originals like Hellraiser, The Lost Boys Prince Of Darkness and Near Dark hitting theaters along with other franchise sequels like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Ghoulies II, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, and Howling III.

Where the film was definitely ahead of the curve, however, was in franchise tonal shift. From A Nightmare on Elm Street to Leprechaun to Child’s Play/Chucky, there is a long history of scary movie sequels getting silly… but usually that’s not a move made until the creative well starts to run dry after multiple installments. It can sometimes be the case that a pivot to laughs to match scares is disastrous and can lead to rejection from once die-hard fans – but Evil Dead II isn’t a movie that plays by any rules and executes the move flawlessly.

How Evil Dead II Changes Its Franchise’s Canon And Future

Horror franchises in general are not recognized for having clear and planned continuities, but Evil Dead II nonetheless stands out as an odd sequel. While Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert had the ability to produce the film, what they didn’t have were the rights to include footage in the movie from The Evil Dead. As such, the first act is ostensibly a fast-forwarded remake with major changes made – the most significant being Ash and Linda (Denise Bixler) traveling to the cabin alone instead of with their friends.

Aesthetically, the film further established what would become Sam Raimi’s trademark style, full of odd angles, speeding cameras, and quick punch-ins, but in the context of the franchise, Evil Dead II is notably the first movie in the series to feature a workshop montage with Ash establishing his most famous look.

Of course, as far as this section of this column is concerned, the most significant forward-looking part of Evil Dead II is its final sequence, with Ash being sucked into a time vortex and getting dumped into the middle ages along with his car (Sam Raimi’s 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, which has been featured in almost all of the director’s films). It’s a setup for events that transpire in the sequel – though much like how Evil Dead II changes certain details from The Evil Dead, Army Of Darkness changes certain details from Evil Dead II (more on that next week!)

Is Evil Dead II A Good Horror Movie In General?

It would be a lie to say that the comedy in Evil Dead II doesn’t somewhat undercut its scares – but the movie balances that out with exceptional filmmaking craft. Humorous as it may be to see the entire cabin break out with Ash in hysterical laughter, it also brilliantly gets across the feeling of going insane. And as silly as it is to watch a possessed hand smash plates over its owners head, the film still delivers chills as Ash declares, “Who’s laughing now?!” while applying a running chainsaw to his own wrist. And those moments are just icing on the cake when paired with the terror of the Deadites.

Evil Dead II is certainly an evolution from The Evil Dead, but it’s also a brilliant work that wholly stands up independent of the rest of the franchise as an amazing cinematic treat filled with laughs and scares. In a word, it’s groovy.

How To Watch Evil Dead II

If you’re watching/rewatching all of the Evil Dead franchise in anticipation of Evil Dead Rise, and you have already seen The Evil Dead, the good news is that Evil Dead II is exceptionally easy to find. While the movie is not presently in the libraries of any subscription services, it is available to rent and purchase from online outlets including Amazon, Vudu, Apple, and Google Play. The best option that currently exists for physical media collectors is the 4K UHD release from 2018.

As we continue to countdown the weeks until the release of Evil Dead Rise, Evil Dead’s History And Legacy will be back next week with a new feature about 1992’s Army Of Darkness. Look for the column next Thursday here in the CinemaBlend Movies section.

In the late 1970s, 20-somethings Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Rob Tapert decided that they were ready to make their first feature. Raimi and Campbell were childhood friends, and Raimi and Tapert met while simultaneously attending Michigan State University, and they were all unified in aspirations as filmmakers. Having experience making shorts on Super 8mm film, they decided their best course of action to make something economical and marketable was to make a horror movie, and it was while studying the Egyptian Book of the Dead in an ancient history class at MSU that Raimi found inspiration for the story. All three men would be producers, with Raimi also writing and directing and Campbell starring.

Sam Raimi went about writing the screenplay (originally titled Book Of The Dead) as a credited independent study project, and a proof of concept short film titled Within The Woods was shot to be shown to potential investors… but it was an uphill climb to raise money, which would be indicative of how the rest of the production would proceed. As discussed by Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert on the 30th anniversary Blu-ray commentary track, the mission was to raise a $150,000 budget exchanging a $10,000 investment for a two percent stake, and while getting a number of rejections, they were able to raise $85,000 from a number of different sources – including a man who Raimi met at K-Mart while getting film developed.

With aid from the small film commission in Tennessee, the small production team of Book Of The Dead – including number of friends serving as the crew and actors Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly – traveled down from the Detroit area in Michigan to Morristown, Tennessee. They immediately faced issues as the original location where they were going to shoot fell through, forcing a change in the production schedule, and eventually what was planned as a six week stay in the freezing woods turned into 12 weeks.

The cabin, which had to be emptied of manure prior to filming, provided no legitimate shelter from the cold because of its barebones construction; power tools were stolen, necessitating someone be at the set at all times; injuries were rampant among the cast and crew, with the white lenses worn by the actors in makeup causing extreme discomfort; and exhaustion was so extreme that people would fall asleep at the camera. It was an objectively miserable experience for all involved, with the hope of actually finishing the film keeping people going.

Even when the movie was finished, it still took years to find a distributor – but then the feature got the support of septuagenarian Hollywood veteran Irvin Shapiro (who was responsible for the title change to The Evil Dead). While Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Rob Tapert were focusing on domestic distribution and getting a lot of negative responses and bad offers, Shapiro made a deal with Palace Pictures in England, which proceeded to release the film in theaters and into the burgeoning home video market simultaneously. It instantly found a cult audience (while also generating controversy), and this led to a deal being forged with New Line Cinema for a theatrical release in the United States in 1983.

Between the big screen and tremendous success on VHS, The Evil Dead quickly made an indelible mark on the horror world – in part because of the impression it made on some of the popular names in the genre. Prior to its distribution, the movie got a key stamp of approval from Stephen King, who had developed an instant reputation in the horror community in the era. The author saw the film at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and wrote an article about it for Twilight Zone Magazine. Found via Reddit, King writes in the piece,

The journey making The Evil Dead was wild, but the impression that it has made on pop culture is even more remarkable – with it having an immeasurable influence on genre filmmaking, its fanbase growing ever larger, and the film ultimately spawning multiple sequels and a television series. The latest chapter, Evil Dead Rise, will be in theaters in just a few short weeks, and we’re counting down to that release with an in-depth look at Evil Dead’s History and Legacy.

Why The Evil Dead Is The Second Best Movie The Evil Franchise

The Evil Dead was not the first horror movie to have a group of young people go out into the woods and experience extreme terror, and it’s far from the last – but it’s a special film in its style and relentlessness. It’s not a roller coaster in that it’s not about peaks and valleys; it’s more akin to the world’s tallest waterslide being equipped with an express elevator and a river of blood instead of H2O. After limited setup, the bulk of the 85-minute runtime is chaos, and it’s executed with such brilliant in-your-face panache that its scares are as fun as they are nightmare-inducing.

It’s complicated to compare The Evil Dead to any of its sequels given that one of the hallmarks of the franchise is the fact that each installment operates with a different energy than its predecessor, but it will always deserve special consideration because of the phenomenal ingenuity on display from some incredibly young talent. Today, the Sam Raimi aesthetic is well known thanks to the superhero blockbusters he’s made in addition to his horror hits and thrillers, and Bruce Campbell’s specific charm and charisma is beloved among cinephiles, and it’s a remarkable thing to see how their gifts are on display in their very first feature.

In a 2013 interview, Campbell told me bluntly, “Evil Dead movies are not fun at all” when it comes to the process of making them, but even with that universal hardship in the franchise it’s hard not to specifically admire what the cast and filmmakers accomplished with The Evil Dead. You’d expect that a production working with inexperienced personnel and through such terrible conditions would either A) never finish the movie, or B) create something wretched and unwatchable, but instead it’s a brilliant work of art.

How The Evil Dead Fits Into The History Of Horror

When Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Rob Tapert agreed to make a horror movie as their first feature, a key part of the reason why was because they saw opportunity in the distribution market of the time. In the late 1970s, film festivals and film markets for independent cinema weren’t major parts of the industry like they are today, but what did exist were regional domestic distributors, grindhouse theaters, and drive-ins, and those were havens some small genre releases.

In the documentary One By One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga Of The Evil Dead, film critic Joe Bob Briggs explains,

It was an exciting and thrilling time for horror cinema that saw the arrival of legends including John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, George A. Romero and David Cronenberg, and The Evil Dead was born in their wake.

Going into the early 1980s, home video was also becoming a significant force for the genre – but it’s also the arena where The Evil Dead was caught up in controversy, specifically in the U.K. As explained in the documentary Discovering Evil Dead: The Palace Boys Meet The Evil Dead, ratings boards had a degree of control over the content that could be shown in theaters, but the same kind of regulations didn’t exist for VHS distribution, and it led to a collection of titles dubbed “Video Nasties.” The Evil Dead ended up being the subject of prosecuted obscenity charges, and Sam Raimi actually flew to England to testify on behalf of the film, but a judge declined his testimony. Eventually all charges were dismissed.

How The Evil Dead Sets Up Its Franchise’s Canon And Future

As noted earlier, the Evil Dead franchise is an odd beast in that there is quite a lot of tone variation in the sequels, and there really isn’t a whole lot of consistency when it comes to the supernatural “rules” in the canon. That being said, there are constants – the big one being the Necronomicon: the book of dead, bound in human flesh and inked in human blood. It is the pitcher from which all evil pours in the continuity, with terror unleashed upon any person or group that is around when passages from the pages are read aloud. Ordinary people can be possessed and become beings known as Deadites, and sometimes even cutting them to pieces doesn’t kill them.

Though not quite as ubiquitous in the franchise as the Necronomicon, Bruce Campbell’s Ashley “Ash” Williams also gets his formal introduction to pop culture in The Evil Dead. He doesn’t take on his most iconic form until Evil Dead II (next week’s column!), but all of the groundwork for the character is lain, and during an age when the groundwork for the “final girl” trope was being founded, he is a rare male protagonist who is still alive when the credits roll. Director Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead from 2013 was the first sequel to not include Ash as the lead, but he made his triumphant return a couple years later in Starz’s Ash vs. Evil Dead series.

2013’s Evil Dead was also the first in the canon not to be directed by Sam Raimi, but key signatures of his style are nonetheless present, and that all traces back to The Evil Dead. The first person perspective shots of “evil” lurking through the woods and chasing characters is a genius cinematic touch that has been aped by filmmakers in hundreds if not thousands of titles, and nobody punches in on an actor’s face in the same way. And, of course, there is the copious amounts of unflinching gore that is so over-the-top that it becomes hilarious with enough viewings.

Is The Evil Dead A Good Horror Movie In General?

The legacy of The Evil Dead is fortified by the fantastic sequels that have been released in the last four decades, but even if they were never made, it would still exist as a landmark title in horror history. It’s unquestionably excessive, gratuitous, and disgusting, but those qualities are generated from remarkable craft and skill – from monstrous make-up, to cinematography-generated surprises, to monstrous stop motion. The effects do age it, but it’s a phenomenal product of its time, and even after hundreds of viewings it’s hard to fully fathom how Sam Raimi and his collaborators managed to pull off what they did with the resources they had.

More than just being a spectacular piece of 20th century art and an icon of the horror genre, The Evil Dead is an inspirational part of pop culture. The experience making the movie took a toll on everyone involved, but the remarkable passion they all possessed to create it is legendary, and its story is a standout precursor to the indie movement that changed Hollywood during the 1980s and 1990s.

How To Watch The Evil Dead

At present, The Evil Dead is not available on any subscription streaming service, but it is easy to find and watch nonetheless. As far as digital options are concerned, the film can be rented or purchased from Amazon Prime Video or Vudu. If you’re a fan of the Evil Dead franchise who is also a physical media collector, you may be like me and have purchased the movie in many different formats over the years, but the best version currently available is the 4K UHD release.

Be sure to come back to CinemaBlend next Thursday for the second installment of Evil Dead’s History and Legacy, as I’ll be doing a deep dive into the remarkable film that is Evil Dead II. In the meantime, you can read my previous Horror History and Legacy column series focused on the Scream franchise.

UPDATE with VIDEO.

Of all the big horror movie releases in 2023, only one of them involves a cursed book of the dead that haunted Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams and myriad other doomed souls over the past 40 years. I’m of course speaking of Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, which is pulling the fan-favorite franchise into a more domestic setting and away from the cabins and woods. And while Campbell’s horror icon Ash isn’t in the film, you can bet that the character’s spirit is still inside the actor and producer, as evidenced by his reaction to a loud-mouthed heckler at the new movie’s premiere during this year’s SXSW.

The 97-minute Evil Dead Rise earned widespread praise from critics on hand for its highly anticipated festival premiere, but apparently didn’t win everyone over. One spectator reportedly fell asleep at some point either during the screening or the Q&A that took place right after, and staff members went up to him about having his legs propped up during his impromptu zonk-out. At which point, he reportedly tossed an empty popcorn bucket upwards and hollered that the movie “fucking sucks,” prompting a wave of boos, according to Variety. The nap-happy complainer was attempting to exit the theater as those on stage were talking about him, prompting the heckler to flip them off and start hollering again. Which is when Bruce Campbell egged the guy on in an A+ fashion, saying:

To be expected, there was much cheer and rejoicing, and no one ever heckled anyone else ever again. Which would be how things would have ended if this were a fairy tale (with F-bombs and gory horror screenings), and not a world where asshats are an incorrigible scourge. But one heckler getting told to GTFO by Bruce Campbell is probably equal to like a dozen hecklers who don’t get reprimanded.

Rob Tapert chimed in afterward to question the timing of the guy’s specific criticism, saying:

Amidst the laughter, the Q&A's moderator Peter Hall (who serves as the SXSW Film and TV programmer) called the dude out himself before questioning such a harsh opinion on the new horror. 

Again with the rejoicing and the whooping and wahooing and so on. For everyone in the venue during and after the screening, celebratory outbursts were frequent and constant, both during the movie and throughout the panel. To the point where Peter Hall exclaimed that he'd never seen an audience get "that insane" during all his years of screening and watching films there. And while he said it before Sleepy McHeckleface shared his anti-enthusiasm, I doubt that one slice of negativity would have changed his tune.

Such excitement is to be expected, since it's been a full ten years since any Evil Dead-ness has taken over theaters. Even though we obviously had the TV show, and even though Bruce Campbell even reprised the role for the lovingly brutal video game that released in 2022, there's something about seeing Necronomicon-inspired chaos that just needs to happen on the big screen every once in a while. For those looking for some small-screen Deadite-destroying fun:

• 1983’s The Evil Dead is available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.
• 1987’s Evil Dead II is available to stream with an IndieFlix subscription.
• 1992’s Army of Darkness and 2013’s Evil Dead are currently only available to rent or purchase from all the usual places.
• All three seasons of the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead are available to stream with a Netflix subscription or through a Starz subscription.

With a ton of awesome movies on the way in 2023, Evil Dead Rise is set to crawl across theater ceilings when it releases on Friday, April 21. 

With its first movie coming over 40 years ago, Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror franchises available to fans of the genre (and CinemaBlend’s Rich Knight makes an argument for why it’s still the greatest). Now Evil Dead Rise — the fifth offering in the series — is headed our way, and even without horror movie icon Bruce Campbell wielding his chainsaw arm as Ash, the red band trailer promises plenty of unsettling madness and tons of fake blood. Evil Dead Rise made its premiere at South by Southwest, so critics are starting to weigh in on the latest installment. 

With Bruce Campbell having retired his famous character, Evil Dead Rise centers around estranged sisters Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), and the film also forgoes the “cabin in the woods” premise. Instead, the undead will be awakened in the apartment that Ellie shares with her three children. Let’s see what the SXSW crowd is saying about the horror flick. 

Michael Gingold of Rue Morgue says the latest installment is as bloody and horrifying as ever, and once Evil Dead Rise gets going, it maintains a level of “intense, sometimes painful terror” that infuses just enough dark humor. More from the review:  

Joe Leydon of Variety says taking the action out of the woods does nothing to dim the horror, and Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland establish themselves as worthy scream queens in this sequel. The critic continues: 

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting agrees that the leading actresses are “fantastic” and rates the movie 3.5 skulls out of 5, calling it an “absolute crowd pleaser” that is best enjoyed in a packed theater. The critic says: 

Jacob Hall of SlashFilm rates the film an 8.5 out of 10, saying Lee Cronin offers horror fans the nastiest, most extreme entry in a series that's pretty well-known for being nasty and extreme. He continues: 

Ryan Scott of Inverse says Evil Dead Rise works as both an entry point for fans new to the franchise and as a more-than-satisfying return for longtime Deadites. It absolutely delivers the goods, the critic says, for those who have the stomach for it: 

It seems like there’s plenty to be excited about with Evil Dead Rise, even without Bruce Campbell appearing as Ash Williams. The movie is set for an April 21 theatrical release, so until then, you can honor those that came before by checking out the best Sam Raimi movies, and see how to watch Bruce Campbell in his best roles. Also be sure to take a peek at all of the other horror movies coming our way this year, and if you need a break from the frights, check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is heading to theaters soon. 

I am in multiple Facebook groups for fans of the Evil Dead movies like myself and I cannot tell you how many times I have seen posts and comments from people in protest of the latest upcoming sequel, Evil Dead Rise. The main reason they are against the fourth installment (or fifth, if you count the 2013 remake) is because Bruce Campbell is not appearing as his iconic, chainsaw-handed Deadite hunter, Ashley J. “Ash” Williams. Personally, I think those primitive screw-heads need to get over themselves.

Before you go on accusing me of sacrilege, let me make it clear that I think Campbell is one of the greatest horror movie icons to ever live and I spent months working on a battery powered chainsaw-hand to wear with my Ash costume for Halloween in 2018, so I definitely hail to the King, baby. However, I do also believe it is possible to make a decent sequel to my favorite horror franchise of all time without him. Here are five reasons why you can still count me in to see the Ash-less Evil Dead Rise when it comes out in April 2023. 

The Franchise Has Always Benefitted From Fresh Blood

The first person that I or any Deadite (as Evil Dead fans like to call ourselves) think of when we think of the franchise is and always will be Ash Williams. However, when it comes to the cast of characters, we have to realize that Campbell’s bumbling, unlikely hero is just one cog in the system and that there are several other characters, brought to life by fantastic actors, who also make the franchise something special.

I believe that Jane Levy’s performance as possessed, recovering drug addict Mia in Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead (one of the finest horror movie remakes, as far as I am concerned) is one of the best performances I have seen in any horror movie. Plus, what would Ash vs. Evil Dead have been without Ray Santiago as Pablo, Dana DeLorenzo as Kelly, or the rest of the cast of that awesome series? Adding new characters into the mix is what has kept the franchise thriving and the carnage flowing, which is why I am looking forward to meeting the Evil Dead Rise cast, which includes Vikings star Alyssa Sutherland and Australian native Lily Sullivan.

I Prefer The More Earnest Evil Dead Movies 

When I said “the more the merrier,” I was not just referring to the characters, but also the carnage, which is of an especially unique variety in the Evil Dead movies. Franchise creator Sam Raimi combined his affinity for horror and love for The Three Stooges into a style of filmmaking I like to call “splatterstick” (splattering gore combined with slapstick comedy) in Evil Dead II, which made it one of the greatest horror-comedy movies of all time. As much as I love the wackiness of that 1987 sequel, that was later elevated for Army of Darkness and Ash vs. Evil Dead, I have to admit that those are not my favorite installments.

The 1981 classic that started it all, The Evil Dead, remains my favorite horror movie of all time because (despite some decidedly cartoonish moments) it treats the material seriously. However, there was a time when I almost considered promoting the 2013 reimagining as my top choice of the franchise because I felt it was the most earnest and viscerally scary yet. Bottom line: I have loved the franchise the most when frightening me was a higher priority than making me laugh, and I think that Ash has become a little too silly over time for the sort of things that Evil Dead Rise appears to have in store.

The Trailer Suggests We Are Still In For Some Hardcore Horror 

What sort of frights does Evil Dead Rise have in store? Just see for yourself by watching the trailer, which is one of the most gloriously bloody, bone-chilling, and even heartbreaking horror movie teasers I have seen in years.

I recommend watching the red band version of the trailer if you have not already. Not only does it introduce the family of characters cruelly torn apart by new spirits unleashed by the Necronomicon, but also the payoff of writer and director Lee Cronin’s tweet claiming more than 1,700 gallons of fake blood was used, and a nod to the original with Lily Sullivan’s character wielding a chainsaw. So, it appears that the film is honoring almost everything essential to franchise, just with a new setting and cast, as if Campbell had a hand in the project himself…

Bruce Campbell Is Still Producing 

Oh, yeah. That’s right — Bruce Campbell IS involved with Evil Dead Rise. Much like he did with the remake, the actor is serving as an executive producer on the film, alongside Sam Raimi and fellow franchise veteran Rob Tapert as a producer. 

So, while Ash may not be in it, the man who plays him is still very much a part of it by giving his stamp of approval. Plus, there is a chance that he could have some subtle appearance, much like his post-credits cameo in 2013’s Evil Dead. However, even if that does not happen, I will not be disappointed because I have come to terms with the fact that we will likely never see Ash on screen again.

I Think It Is Time We Accept Bruce's Decision To Retire Ash 

It was five years ago, shortly after Starz cancelled Ash vs. Evil Dead after three seasons, when Campbell announced that the series had marked the last time he would play Ash Williams. The now 64-year-old actor explained that the role had grown to become too physically demanding for him, but that did not stop many of the Deadites I knew on Facebook from continuing to demand more Ash — whether in the form of a new movie or another season of the series, which actually ended on a decidedly perfect note, in my opinion.

It is always a sad moment to realize your favorite cinematic hero has seen his last days, but that does not mean he is gone forever, as you can relive his work whenever you want. Besides, Campbell would voice the character again for 2022’s Evil Dead video game, which technically gave us what many had asked for. But, as far as the movies go, I think there is no shame in accepting that the character has been taken as far as he was destined to go, and as far as Campbell is willing to take him.

One thing that me, and some of the Deadites still pulling for another Ash movie, can agree on, however, is that no one can play the character like Campbell can and, therefore, it is best that he is not recast. As far as I am concerned, that is just another reason to be excited for Evil Dead Rise, because at least Lee Cronin and co. are not trying to recapture the same magic that Raimi and co. did, but are coming up with new tricks instead. That is all I need from any Evil Dead and hopefully, when the sequel hits theaters on April 21, 2023, it will be groovy enough for you, too. 

As far as ratings go, at least those handed out by the Motion Picture Association, there is nothing more extreme these days than NC-17. That means no one under the age of 18 can be admitted to a movie with this rating for a multitude of reasons.

Some directors, producers, and studios will re-cut their films to get an R-rating, but there are plenty of NC-17 movies that have been left unedited and sent out into the wild as is, which has resulted in limited releases of some of the most notorious movies of all time. Find out why these films were branded this way, as well as how you can watch them if you are curious, in the following list.

Henry & June (1990) - Fred Ward, Uma Thurman

What better way to start than with the very first movie to earn the NC-17 rating – according to SlashFilm – Henry & June. Director Philip Kaufman’s adaptation of Anaïs Nin’s memoir focuses on a love triangle between novelist Henry Miller (Fred Ward), his wife, June (Uma Thurman), and the French-American author (portrayed by Thurman’s future fellow Pulp Fiction cast member, Maria de Medeiros) in 1930s Paris. Despite its controversially explicit sexual content, the drama was a mild critical and commercial success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.

Buy Henry & June on Blu-ray on Amazon.  

Killer Joe (2012) - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple

Directed by the late William Friedkin and written by 2019’s Little Women cast member Tracy Letts (also based on his stage play), Killer Joe stars Emile Hirsch as an indebted young man who hatches a plan to have his mother (played by Gina Gershon) killed to collect insurance money. Matthew McConaughey gives one of his most underrated performances as the titular hitman he hires, whose fee is so high that he agrees to let his teenage sister (Juno Temple) be treated as collateral.

According to Deadline, the shamelessly twisted crime thriller was released with an NC-17 rating after Friedkin and distributor LD Entertainment opted not to change its ending. While an R-rated version of the film was later made available for home viewing, those interested in seeing it in its original form could also seek out the unrated director’s cut of Killer Joe instead.

Rent or buy Killer Joe on Amazon.
Buy Killer Joe on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Mysterious Skin (2004) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

One of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best movies from earlier in his career is Mysterious Skin, in which he plays a gay teen making a living as a sex worker who recalls a disturbing encounter from his childhood through narration. Meanwhile, another teen, played by Brady Corbet, struggles to figure out the truth behind a blackout he suffered when he was younger, leading the two men to cross paths unexpectedly.

Writer and director Gregg Araki is notorious for including pervasive sexual content in his films, but the NC-17 rating for Mysterious Skin – also starring Elisabeth Shue and Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member Michelle Trachtenberg – was largely determined by its graphic depiction of pedophilia. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the challenging subject matter sparked controversy when the Australian Family Association feared child predators could use the film as a grooming tool or for their own gratification.
 
Rent or buy Mysterious Skin on Amazon.
Buy Mysterious Skin on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his many racy collaborations with writer and director Pedro Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas stars in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Ricky, who is released from a mental hospital with the intent of finding love. So, he tracks down a former adult film star, played by Victoria Abril, whom he once shared an intimate encounter with and takes her prisoner in hopes he can convince her to be his wife.

According to Gwyne Edwards’ 2001 book Almodóvar: Labyrinths of Passion, the controversial subject matter of Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! was instrumental in the creation of the NC-17 rating itself. Thus, the MPA branded it as such in 1990 for a “scene of strong adult sensuality with nudity,” according to FilmRatings.com.

Stream Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Max.
Rent or buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Amazon.
Buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Blu-ray Amazon.

Blonde (2022) - Ana de Armas

Based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde is director Andrew Dominik’s in-depth and fictionalized look at the tragically short life of Norma Jeane Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Ana de Armas disappears into the role of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, portraying a side of the actress and model that was long kept hidden from the public.

Dominik once said that he anticipated his nearly three-hour biopic would be rated NC-17 before the MPA made it official in June 2022, citing “some sexual content” as the reasoning. The film’s more hardcore scenes would inspire some strong reactions from both critics and audiences since it was made available to stream in 2022.

Stream Blonde on Netflix.

Crash (1996) - James Spader, Holly Hunter

Not to be confused with director Paul Haggis’ Best Picture Oscar winner from 2005, Crash is one of the more bizarre and inventive movies directed by David Cronenberg (which is really saying something). Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, it stars James Spader as a TV producer who becomes seduced into an unusual and dangerous obsession with car wrecks and the intense, sexually stimulating effect they seem to have on him and others, including his mistress (played by Holly Hunter).

Just from learning the plot, it seems pretty clear why a movie like Crash would have been given the NC-17 rating and why it inspired controversy so pervasive that it was chronicled in a 2001 book called The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception. Nonetheless, it was still relatively well-received by critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and earned Cronenberg a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, despite vehement opposition from the jury’s then-president, Francis Ford Coppola.

Buy Crash on DVD on Amazon.

Descent (2007) - Rosario Dawson

Not to be confused with the Scottish 2005 horror movie THE Descent, this film sees Rosario Dawson giving her most provocative and extreme performance since she broke out in another controversial classic, Kids. This time, she plays a woman who undergoes a dramatic and violent change of character after she is assaulted by a man she meets at a fraternity party.

This brutal and upsetting revenge drama was actually released with two alternative cuts: one rated NC-17 and an R-rated edit that omits seven minutes of footage. Still, both versions contain brutal rape, language, some sexual content and drug use.

Buy Descent on DVD on Amazon.

Showgirls (1995) - Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan

Perhaps the most infamous movie on this list, Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic cult classic, Showgirls, stars a post-Save by the Bell Elizabeth Berkley as a young drifter named Nomi Malone. As she hitchhikes to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a famous dancer on the Strip, she has some ups and downs on her journey, but finally makes her dreams come true, at a price…

According to the MPA, Showgirls was given its NC-17 rating due to the amount of nudity and erotic sexuality throughout the movie, as well as graphic language and sexual violence. If you’ve seen the movie (and not the VH1 version with digitized bras), you’re well aware of the film’s graphic nature.

Stream Showgirls on Tubi.
Stream Showgirls on Pluto TV.
Buy Showgirls on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shame (2011) - Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Released in 2011, Steve McQueen’s psychological drama, Shame, stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – a successful and dashing executive who is secretly a traumatized sex addict who will do anything and everything to get his kicks in New York City. Just when he thinks life can’t get any worse, his equally damaged sister (Carey Mulligan) storms into his life, causing more complications.

Upon release, Shame was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA for explicit sexual content as well as some truly troubling scenes. I’ve walked out of several movies before, but this was the first I exited simply because what was happening on the screen was way too real and unnerving to finish.

Rent or buy Shame on Amazon.
Buy Shame on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) - Léa Seydoux 

Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 French drama, Blue is the Warmest Color, stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as a high school student who experiences a sexual awakening after meeting an art school student and aspiring painter named Emma, played by James Bond movies actor, Léa Seydoux. Over the years, the two form a contentious and highly-emotional relationship that opens their eyes to a whole new world around them.

Though tamer than some of the other titles on this list, Blue is the Warmest Color was given an NC-17 rating because of the explicit sexual content the MPA felt was unsuitable for younger audiences. However, at least one theater allowed teens to watch the movie upon release.

Rent or buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Amazon.
Buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Blu-ray Amazon.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) - Harvey Keitel

Abel Ferrara’s 1992 crime thriller Bad Lieutenant follows Harvey Keitel as a broken NYPD detective whose stress over his job, life, and gambling habits get the best of him. From one interaction to the next, the unnamed lieutenant falls deeper down the rabbit hole of depravity, committing some irredeemable crimes of his own along the way.

If there has ever been a movie deserving of an NC-17 rating it would have to be Bad Lieutenant. With an abundance of sexual violence, intense sexual situations, endless drug use, and extreme language throughout, it’s no wonder the MPA came down hard on the movie, which later inspired a sequel only in name, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog.

Stream Bad Lieutenant on Tubi.
Rent or buy Bad Lieutenant on Amazon.
Buy Bad Lieutenant on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Orgazmo (1997) - Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Co-writer and director Trey Parker plays a normal Mormon missionary trying to find enough money to support and marry his longtime girlfriend. But when he stumbles upon a porn set, the once strait-laced and deeply devoted young man becomes the biggest thing going in the adult entertainment industry in Orgazmo.

It should come as no surprise that a movie written by the creators of South Park, and one centered on the porn industry, would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPA in 1998. It should come as even less of a surprise that the rating was handed down due to the sexual content and dialogue featured throughout.

Rent or buy Orgazmo on Amazon.
Buy Orgazmo on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bent (1997) - Clive Owen, Ian McKellen

After being discovered and arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, Max – a proud gay man played by Clive Owen – is sent on a perilous journey to the Dachau concentration camp where he is subjected to indescribable horrors while still being able to find love.

Possibly one of the most harrowing movies about the Holocaust, Sean Mathias’ 1997 drama Bent is absolutely heartbreaking and disturbing with its graphic displays of violence. Upon its release, the movie received an NC-17 rating from the MPA due to its graphic sexual nature.

Stream Bent on Peacock.
Stream Bent on Tubi.
Stream Bent on Plex.
Rent or buy Bent on Amazon.
Buy Bent on Blu-ray Amazon.

Matador (1986) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his most disturbing roles, Antonio Banderas plays Angel, a young student who confesses to an attempted rape and a series of murders he may or may not have committed, in Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 dark comedy, Matador.

Just like some of the other movies featuring the director and actor, Matador pushed the limits with its dark, twisted, and oddly humorous story. Still, the MPA would later give the film an NC-17 rating in 2005 (nearly 20 years after initial release) due to “aberrant sexuality” and violence.

Rent or buy Matador on Amazon.
Buy Matador on DVD on Amazon.

The Dreamers (2003) - Eva Green, Michael Pitt

In the midst of the 1968 Student Riots in Paris, an American student named Matthew (played by Michael Pitt) finds himself getting caught up in the lives of formerly conjoined twins – Louis Garrel as Théo and Eva Green as Isabelle – whose relationship is far from normal. When asked to spend a month with the siblings, Matthew falls deeper into their wild and free-flowing lifestyle.

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 erotic drama, The Dreamers, pushes several boundaries and deviates from societal norms to tell a story about young love in the midst of a chaotic time. With the extreme sexual content and nudity, it’s no surprise the MPA gave the movie an NC-17 rating upon release.

Buy The Dreamers on DVD on Amazon.

A Dirty Shame (2004) - Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville

A John Waters movie receiving an NC-17 rating? You don’t say! The filthy filmmaker’s 2004 comedy, A Dirty Shame, follows Tracey Ullman as Sylvia Stickles– a puritanical resident of the Hatford Road area of Baltimore who experiences a sexual awakening after being hit by a car. 

Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, and Chris Isaak also star in A Dirty Shame, which (no shocker here) was given the NC-17 rating by the MPA due to its pervasive sexual content. And if you’ve seen the movie, you are all too aware of just how pervasive and graphic it is.

Rent or buy A Dirty Shame on Amazon.
Buy A Dirty Shame on DVD on Amazon.

Pink Flamingos (1972) - Divine

When Connie (Mink Stole) and Raymond Marble (David Lochary) attempt to steal Babs Johnson’s (Divine) title of “the filthiest person alive,” the down and dirty criminal and her family make it their mission in life to prevent the newcomers from accomplishing their mission by any means necessary.

With scenes featuring incest, people eating dog poop, flashers, and an infamously notorious scene involving a chicken, it shouldn’t shock anyone that John Waters’ classic exploitation comedy film, Pink Flamingos, was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA upon re-release in 1997, 25 years after it first shocked audiences around the world. Maybe that’s why Roger Ebert hated the movie.

Buy Pink Flamingos on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Evil Dead (1981) - Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell stars in the film that kickstarted the Evil Dead franchise as Ash Williams who – along with his girlfriend and a small group of friends – set off for a night away in an isolated cabin. However, the night quickly takes a turn for the worst after they discover the Necronomicon – a powerful book that awakens possessive, malevolent spirits.

Sam Raimi’s classic horror film, The Evil Dead, was initially released with an X rating back in 1981 on account of its substantial graphic violence and gore. It was later given an NC-17 by the MPA when the movie was re-released back in 1994.

Rent or buy The Evil Dead on Amazon.
Buy The Evil Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Elles (2011) - Juliette Binoche

The title of Elles refers to the French magazine, Elle, for which Juliette Binoche’s character is researching an article about an underground sex worker ring orchestrated by female college students in Paris. However, the closer she gets to the facts behind the story, the more she begins to question her own personal interests. Graphic sexual content that goes as far as urinary fetishes initially earned this drama from Polish filmmaker Malgoska Szumowska an NC-17 rating.

Buy Elles on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Happiness (1998) - Philip Seymour Hoffman 

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman plays one of several interconnected people all searching desperately for the most coveted emotion there is: happiness. Of course, their chosen ways of acquiring it are exactly the kind of reasons this Golden Globe nominee was initially given an NC-17 rating. 

Also starring the likes of Trick ‘r Treat’s Dylan Baker, Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle, and SNL’s Jon Lovitz, Happiness is one of the darkest comedies of its time. However, that does not mean so much when you learn it comes from writer and director Todd Solondz.

Buy Happiness on DVD on Amazon.

Elles and Happiness are some of a few notable examples of films that surrendered their NC-17 ratings upon release and are now deemed “unrated,” such as the aforementioned Kids. However, they are just as challenging and provocative as any of the films listed above, which is why we’ll still count them as NC-17 in our book.

Pizza Poppa actor Bruce Campbell talks with CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O’Connell about “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the original “Spider-Man” trilogy, his odd relationship with frequent collaborator Sam Raimi, and much, much more in an exclusive interview at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.

Video Chapters

• 00:00 Intro 
• 00:18 The Origins of Pizza Poppa 
• 01:18 Pizza Poppa’s future in the MCU 
• 01:55 Bruce Campbell on working with his friend Sam Raimi 
• 04:15 Bruce Campbell on “tormenting” the heroes in his films 
• 05:15 Bruce Campbell on his importance in the original “Spider-Man” trilogy 
• 06:30 ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ 20 years later 
• 07:30 Bruce Campbell on returning to San Diego Comic-Con 
• 08:25 Bruce Campbell on Pizza Poppa cosplay

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains some major spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If you haven’t seen the latest Marvel movie yet, proceed at your own risk!

There are few actor/director combos that are associated with one another more than the long-running creative relationship shared by Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi, one that goes back more than 40 years. Since first working together on 1977’s It’s Murder!, Campbell and Raimi have teamed up more than a dozen times, including in classic horror movies like The Evil Dead (and its two sequels) and Raimi’s groundbreaking Spider-Man movies, the latter of which consisted of some of the comic world’s most beloved cameos.

But, which of those cameos is the grooviest? Well, sit back and relax because we’re about to break down all the Bruce Campbell cameos in Sam Raimi movies and decide which one is the best of the best.

6. Winkie Guard (Oz The Great And Powerful)

Let’s start off with Bruce Campbell’s brief yet hilarious cameo in Sam Raimi’s 2013 fantasy epic, Oz the Great and Powerful. Don’t let the placing of this appearance on the list fool you, Campbell is in top form as the Winkie Gate Keeper, the incompetent and easily tricked guard who allows a disguised Oz (James Franco) and his party enter the Emerald City.

What makes this small appearance so much fun, besides Campbell’s ridiculous makeup and costume, is the way in which the actor reads his lines and carries himself. Campbell’s deadpan delivery is incredible here. Only if this interaction would have gone on for a little while longer.

5. Final Shemp (Darkman) 

More than a decade before Sam Raimi sat behind the director’s chair for Spider-Man, and even longer before he returned for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the horror icon released a small yet pivotal superhero film called Darkman, starring Liam Neeson in the title role. In a 30-year retrospective released by The Hollywood Reporter back in 2020, Bruce Campbell mentioned that he was Raimi’s first choice to play the disfigured Peyton Westlake, a.k.a. Darkman, but Universal weren’t too keen on the idea. That didn’t stop Raimi from finding a way to have his old friend play Darkman at the end, though.

In the final moments of the movie, when Westlake tells his love interest, Julie Hastings (Frances McDormand), he has to leave, the superhero takes on a different appearance, that of Bruce Campbell. Though only a few seconds, the look on Campbell’s face cuts right through you as he says goodbye to the love of his life before turning away and getting lost in the crowd.

4. Pizza Poppa Vendor (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness)

One of the biggest rumors surrounding the never produced Spider-Man 4 was that Bruce Campbell would be playing Mysterio (which could have explained all his earlier Spider-Man cameos). But, even though the movie never panned out, Campbell did land a small role in Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero genre in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the Pizza Poppa vendor on Earth-838. Campbell shows up just after Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) arrive in the alternate universe, and boy does he make the most of his time.

When the Pizza Poppa vendor calls out Earth-616’s Doctor Strange for being an impersonator of his reality’s version (who died during the Battle of Titan), Strange casts a spell that leaves the poor man inflicting a great deal of pain on himself like he was a possessed Ash Williams in The Evil Dead. The torment finally comes to an end in the post credits scene, when the vendor is freed from the spell after what appears to be a very long time.

3. Ring Announcer (Spider-Man)

Now it’s time for the heavy-hitters of Bruce Campbell cameos in Sam Raimi movies. The tradition of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) having awkward and sometimes uncomfortable run-ins with characters played by the acting legend kicked off in 2002’s Spider-Man, in which Campbell played the ring announcer who gave Parker his wrestling and later superhero name, Spider-Man (Parker originally called himself “The Human Spider”), before taking on Bonesaw McGraw (“Macho Man” Randy Savage).

Although he only appears in movie for a minute at most, Campbell makes the most of his time on screen and technically gives the web-slinger his iconic name. This was just a taste of what was to come for Campbell in the years to come, at least in the Spider-Verse.

2. Maître d' (Spider-Man 3)

In second place is Bruce Campbell’s portrayal of the Maître d’ in Spider-Man 3. You know, the one who is tasked with bringing out the engagement ring so that Peter Parker can propose to Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). In the awkward scene, Parker is trying to get the nerve to ask his longtime girlfriend to marry him, but it doesn’t go according to plan, especially after Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) walks up and causes MJ to think about how Spider-Man kissed Stacey at a public appearance earlier in the movie. And, it only gets worse from there.

Every so often, Campbell’s character (and the other members of the wait staff) come out periodically and attempt to put the ring and other items down, but Parker continually waves them off. This cameo helps add some comic relief to one of the more depressing scenes of a movie that gets fairly dark. But still, it's hard to compare with what comes next...

1. Snooty Usher (Spider-Man 2)

And last, but certainly not least, is Bruce Campbell’s Spider-Man 2 cameo, in which he plays the snooty usher who won’t let an unpunctual Peter Parker enter Mary Jane Watson’s show, no matter how much the extremely late crime-fighter pleads his case. Let’s break down why this scene works so well and why it’s the actor’s best cameo in a Sam Raimi movie.

There is just something about the way Campbell’s character treats Parker in this scene that stands out above the rest. It starts with the usher telling the disheveled Parker to tie his shoes and straighten his tie using incomplete sentences. Then he really tears into Parker, first because he’s late (he even dismissively points to a sign) and then because he’s being too loud (he puts his finger to his mouth like a kindergarten teacher). But, what really drives home the scene is the fact that Campbell’s character never stops being graceful. I mean, just look at the way his hand glides under the “Quiet Please” sign. Brilliant!

These cameos from one of the most iconic horror actors add something special to the Sami Raimi movies in which they were featured, in one way or another. If you want to see more of the prolific horror legend in action, take a glance at some of Bruce Campbell's best film and TV appearances, which include his Spider-Man movies and much more.

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

Being a horror fan is practically synonymous with being a fan of Bruce Campbell - the star of some of the best horror movies of all time and even a few creepy TV shows as well. Of course, the actor behind the Evil Dead movies’ hero, Ash Williams, has had a versatile career outside of mowing down Deadites with his chainsaw for a right hand. 

We will point out many of those notable highlights in the following list of our picks for the best Bruce Campbell movies and TV shows available on streaming, digital rental, or for purchase on physical media. However, it's only fair that we begin with films that made Campbell one of the “grooviest” stars in cinematic history.

The Evil Dead Movies (1981-1992)

A supermarket employee (Bruce Campbell) must defend himself and others against malevolent, possessive spirits in a secluded log cabin - and, later, in the Middle Ages - after accidentally awakening them with a book bound in human flesh and inked in human blood.

Why they are some of the best Bruce Campbell movies: Writer and director Sam Raimi created one of the best horror movie franchises (if not the best) with 1981’s relentlessly grueling low-budget masterpiece The Evil Dead. He then perfected the horror-comedy with Evil Dead 2 in 1987, and surprised audiences with a cartoonish take on the medieval adventure genre in 1992’s Army of Darkness - all of which star Bruce Campbell as the quippy, bumbling demon-killer, Ashley J. “Ash” Williams.

Stream The Evil Dead Movies on HBO Max.

Rent/buy The Evil Dead digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy Evil Dead 2 digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy Army of Darkness digitally on Amazon.

Buy The Evil Dead And Evil Dead 2 on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.
Buy Army of Darkness on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018) 

A middle-aged, underachieving Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) teams up with his co-workers, Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), to save the world after he accidentally awakens those malevolent, possessive Deadites once again.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell TV shows: The adventures of Ash Williams finally continued when Bruce Campbell led the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast as his best-known character, one last time, before retiring him once Starz cancelled the series after three bloody-good seasons in 2018.

Stream Ash Vs. Evil Dead on Netflix.
Buy Ash Vs. Evil Dead digitally on Amazon.
Buy Ash Vs. Evil Dead on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Maniac Cop (1988)

An aging, hard-nosed detective (Tom Atkins) teams up with a disgraced, younger officer (Bruce Campbell) to stop the brutal killing spree of a murderer dressed in a police uniform in New York City.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: One of Bruce Campbell’s biggest roles in the ’80s outside of the Evil Dead franchise was as one of the heroes of Maniac Cop - a fun and surprisingly smart hybrid of slasher movies and detective dramas that see Campbell share the screen with another iconic horror movie actor, Tom Atkins.

Stream Maniac Cop on Shudder.
Buy Maniac Cop on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Years after switching identities with one of his impersonators to escape the pressures of fame, Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) and a Black man who claims to be the real John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) team-up to stop an evil Egyptian mummy from claiming the souls of fellow residents at their nursing home in Texas.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: One of Bruce Campbell’s most celebrated roles in his entire career outside of the Evil Dead franchise was as the real elderly King of Rock ’n Roll himself in Bubba Ho-Tep - a wonderfully absurd horror-comedy written for screen and helmed by Phantasm and John Dies at the End director Don Coscarelli.

Stream Bubba Ho-Tep on Tubi.
Stream Bubba Ho-Tep on Pluto TV.

Rent/buy Bubba Ho-Tep digitally on Amazon.
Buy Bubba Ho-Tep on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994)

A bounty hunter (Bruce Campbell) travels through the Old West in search of the outlaw gang that killed his father, and comes into possession of strange, futuristic objects that help him out of sticky situations along the way.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell TV shows: Bruce Campbell’s first lead role on a TV show, years before Ash vs. Evil Dead, was as the titular hero of the prematurely and unfairly cancelled The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. - a unique hybrid of an old school western with broad comedy and bizarre sci-fi surrealism from co-creators Jeffrey Boam and Carlton Cuse.

Rent/buy The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Movies (2002-2007)

After a radioactive spider’s bite gives him extraordinary abilities, a young New Yorker (Tobey Maguire) accepts the great responsibility of protecting the city from evil, all while struggling to maintain a social life and a career in the process.

Why they are some of the best Bruce Campbell movies: Director Sam Raimi cast his good friend, Evil Dead trilogy star Bruce Campbell, in all three of his Spider-Man movies, in which he made a hilarious cameo as a different character (from an amateur wrestling announcer in the first film to a French maitre d’ in the third) each time.

Stream Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Movies on Peacock Premium.

Rent/buy Spider-Man digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy Spider-Man 2 digitally on Amazon.
Rent/buy Spider-Man 3 digitally on Amazon.

Buy Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Movies on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Sky High (2005)

In a world almost entirely populated by super-powered beings, a young man (Michael Angarano) struggles to fit in during his freshman year of high school, despite not having any powers of his own…yet.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: One of Bruce Campbell’s most notable contributions to superhero movies outside of the Spider-Man trilogy (so far) is his role as the very selective Coach Boomer (a.k.a. Sonic Boom) in Sky High - an inventive, family-friendly take on the genre with hearty messages about about heroism.

Stream Sky High on Disney+.
Rent/buy Sky High digitally on Amazon.
Buy Sky High on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

As part of stock market scam, an unwitting business school graduate (Tim Robbins) is promoted from mail room attendant to president of a big manufacturing company.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: Bruce Campbell is also good friends with Oscar-winning directorial duo Joel and Ethan Coen (the latter of whom actually worked as an assistant film editor on The Evil Dead) who would cast the actor as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in The Hudsucker Proxy - a fast-paced screwball comedy that feels ripped right from the 1930s, which Sam Raimi also helped write and served as a second unit director for.

Rent/buy The Hudsucker Proxy digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Hudsucker Proxy on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Ant Bully (2006)

A young boy who takes his frustrations out on a colony of ants is magically shrunken down to their size and forced to live and work among them.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: Bruce Campbell has leant his distinct, bold voice to a number of memorable animated roles, such as a smug and appropriately large-chinned ant named Fugax in The Ant Bully - a charming fish-out-of-water story from the director of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, John A. Davis.

Rent/buy The Ant Bully digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Ant Bully on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009)

Hoping to finally earn the respect he has craved from his family and peers, an aspiring inventor (Bill Hader) creates a device that makes food fall from the sky, which means great news for his financially starving town before disaster inevitably strikes.

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell movies: Another notable voice role on Bruce Campbell’s resume is the also smug and large-chinned Mayor Shebourne in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - a hilarious adaptation of Judi Barrett’s classic children’s book from writing and directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

Stream Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs on Hulu.
Rent/buy Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs digitally on Amazon.
Buy Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Burn Notice (2007-2013)

After his employment is suddenly terminated and he is forcibly relocated to Miami, an international spy (Jeffrey Donovan) takes up a job as a private investigator with the help of his ex-girlfriend (Gabrielle Anwar), a former military intelligence operative (Bruce Campbell), and, occasionally, his mother (Sharon Gless).

Why it is one of the best Bruce Campbell TV shows: Bruce Campbell’s big return to television in the 21st Century before the premiere of Ash vs. Evil Dead was the scene-stealing role of Sam Axe on Burn Notice - an Emmy-nominated hit USA Network original that makes espionage look fun and actually quite doable with the right materials. 

Stream Burn Notice on Hulu.
Stream Burn Notice on PlutoTV.

Buy Burn Notice digitally on Amazon.
Buy Burn Notice on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

As previously mentioned, Bruce Campbell has retired from playing Ash Williams onscreen, but will voice him in the upcoming Evil Dead video game in 2022 - the same year that HBO Max will premiere Evil Dead Rise, which Campbell produced with Sam Raimi. The actor could also be seen most recently playing the manager of a toy store overridden by mutant shoppers in the horror-comedy, Black Friday, and played a musician turned music manager in the Hallmark Christmas movie called One December Night.

There’s some good news, and there’s some not-so-good news for B-movie horror fans, as Bruce Campbell talks Evil Dead. The good is that there’s another addition to the Evil Dead franchise coming with Campbell involved per usual, but just not in an acting sense. With this, the horror icon is opening up about retiring the role of Ash Williams and how Sam Raimi's franchise is going to move forward now that he's no longer taking up the chainsaw.

There have been plenty of projects to come out of the OG Evil Dead, like Army of Darkness, Ash vs. Evil Dead, which did feature Bruce Campbell in his iconic role, and 2013’s Evil Dead remake, which only featured Campbell as a producer. There have also been proposed projects that ultimately never saw the light of day, too. Both AoD and the 2013 remake were apparently supposed to get sequels that never came to pass, much to the dismay of the franchise's loyal fanbase.

Not to fret, though, because apparently the franchise has plenty of blood left in its veins. In an interview with Collider, Bruce Campbell provided great insight into the future of the franchise and the creative desire to keep things going, even without him in front of the camera as Ash (although his voice may be a different story). Here is what the B-movie king himself says, exactly:

The character may have been the lifeblood of the franchise back in the ‘80s and ’90s and is still beloved today, but it looks like the Book of the Dead is going to be the star of the franchise moving forward. And honestly, it's such a brilliant move. I’m happy to say that with the book being the source of storylines in the future, the Evil Dead franchise could basically go on forever with fresh ideas.

The downside, of course, is that Bruce Campbell won’t be returning to the screen. Still, that doesn’t mean we won’t see him on screen making a little cameo here and there on future projects. In fact, it may free him up to some other awesome supporting roles in the future of the franchise. Plus, it'll be interesting to see what he continues to bring to the storied horror series from behind the camera.

Evil Dead Rise is the next addition to the franchise and will follow these new rules that Bruce Campbell has laid out. He and Sam Raimi are both on board for the film, but playing the producer (plus writer for Raimi) role. Filming on the blood-filled movie has wrapped, and we can expect the film to go straight to streaming on HBO Max sometime in 2022. Even though we won’t be graced with Campbell’s Ash in any of the future projects, it’s still great to know that the films will continue to have his touch.

While starring in horror movies may sound like fun gigs, the jobs aren't always so easy. Sometimes the fear and anxiety you see on screen is not too far from what the cast experienced on set, which is something the cast of one of the all-time best horror movies, The Evil Dead, can attest to. Star Bruce Campbell is often a fount of BTS stories and has one such behind-the-scenes story that is as painful as it is hilariously awkward. 

He recalled the memory in a featurette included on the recently released The Evil Dead Groovy Collection 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. The short documentary, called “The Ladies of The Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell,” sees the B-movie legend, who plays Ash Williams, conversing with his co-stars Ellen Sandweiss (Ash’s sister, Cheryl), Betsy Baker (Ash’s girlfriend, Linda), and Theresa Tilly (Shelly, credited then as Sarah York). The cast discusses their experiences filming the low-budget, 1981 cult classic from future Doctor Strange 2 director Sam Raimi. 

At one point, the actors mention how low temperatures at the Tennessee cabin they filmed at made the fake blood much stickier than expected. Bruce Campbell really learned that the hard way, as he explained:

Even without any background knowledge, watching The Evil Dead gives the viewer a pretty clear idea of the challenges Bruce Campbell and others faced on the set. During his ill-fated stay at the woodland cabin setting, “hero” Ash Williams is relentlessly tormented by malicious spirits that turn his friends into grotesque minions. It should come as no surprise that he is covered head-to-toe in blood by the end. 

However, to discover the degree of misery that the fake blood caused the actor when the cameras were not rolling is especially heart-wrenching. I am not sure which is more painful: the fact that Bruce Campbell’s own arm hair was coming off with the blood (which he later explains in the featurette had to be melted off with a hot shower before finally getting his clothes off) or how it must have felt to scare  the hell out of bystanders about to pray to the Heavens.

On the other hand, scaring people is something the actor has continued to revel in since, having reprised his best-known character three more times in 1987’s horror-comedy classic Evil Dead 2, the cartoonish medieval epic Army of Darkness in 1992, and the Starz original TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead from 2015 to 2018. You can relive all of the chainsaw-handed Deadite killer’s adventures (excluding Army of Darkness, unfortunately) and learn the secrets behind each installment with The Evil Dead Groovy Collection, which is available now.

While Bruce Campbell has retired from playing Ash on camera, he will return in the upcoming Evil Dead video game and has re-teamed with Sam Raimi to produce a new installment for the franchise called Evil Dead Rise - one of the most anticipated upcoming horror movies which wrapped shooting in October 2021 and will be released exclusively on HBO Max. With a bigger budget, the cast and crew likely had an easier time on set than the original cast did. However, according to director Lee Cronin’s tweet, it was no less bloody this time. Groovy!

Ask any casual moviegoers who they would choose as their favorite horror movie villain and they will likely provide you with an answer without hesitation, but challenge them to name the actor played the character, and you might have them stumped. Die-hard fans of horror movies, however, celebrate horror movie actors such as Bruce Campbell or Jamie Lee Curtis (to name a few) just as passionately as the villains or victims they portray on screen, but who among them is truly the most iconic is a debate more fierce than the titular conflict in Freddy vs. Jason. 

Well, I figured we could make an attempt to settle that argument (or at least give the debaters some food for thought) by ranking my own personal favorite Scream Queens and Scream Kings of all time based on their prevalence in the horror genre, acting ability, and the size and loyalty of their fanbase. I decided to keep the official list (ordered from really good to all-time best) at an appropriate quantity of 13.

13. Adrienne Barbeau 

Adrienne Barbeau’s movie career began with 1980’s The Fog - her second collaboration with then-husband, writer and director John Carpenter - before working with other horror auteurs, like George A. Romero (1982’s Creepshow) and Wes Craven (1982’s Swamp Thing), made her into a cult icon whose instantly recognizable voice can be heard as the narrator of Tales of Halloween. Barbeau still contributes to the genre that made her famous, most recently on the anthology series American Horror Stories, and next in movies like Hellblazers and The Pitch-Fork.

12. Tony Todd

Co-starring in Hellblazers and The Pitch-Fork is Tony Todd, who recently appeared in Nia DaCosta’s 2021 sequel to 1992's Candyman, to reprise the titular ghostly slasher - which he originated after taking over Duane Jones’ role in Tom Savini’s 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake. Having since starred in classics like the Final Destination movies or the more recent slasher throwback, Hell Fest, in 2018, and racking up a 240-credit career that is predominantly horror, Todd is easily one of the most beloved Scream Kings alive.

11. Doug Jones

Appearing in his own insane amount of credits with rarely ever showing his face is Doug Jones - a.k.a. Billy Butcherson in the Hocus Pocus cast, and most creatures you see in a Guillermo del Toro movie (i.e. Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water), to name just a few. This master of disguise (and master contortionist) has given audiences new appreciation for the movie stars who stay hidden in plain sight.

10. Linda Blair

Speaking of acting under heavy makeup, Linda Blair gave a rare, Oscar-nominated performance as the possessed Regan MacNeil in 1973’s The Exorcist at only 14 - forever associating herself with one of the scariest and best horror movies ever. She would revisit the role twice - in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic and 1990's spoof Repossessed, with Leslie Nielsen - and starred in several other favorites (like 1981’s Hell Night and the original Scream) continuing to insure herself as horror royalty. 

9. Christopher Lee 

Also known for revisiting a famous role multiple times is Sir Christopher Lee, who (along with his frequent co-star, Peter Cushing) essentially became the face of Hammer’s gothic dramas by playing its iterations of Frankenstein's Monster or the Mummy, before originating other iconic roles in the likes of Horror Express or The Wicker Man (the original from 1973). When he passed away in 2015 at 93, his most cited characters in memoriam might have been Saruman in The Lord of the Rings movies, or Count Dooku from the Star Wars movies , but to those who knew him best, he will always be their Dracula, whom he played ten times, beginning with 1957's Horror of Dracula. 

8. Bela Lugosi

Of course, the first image most associate with Dracula is the dagger-eyed, Romanian-born Bela Lugosi in Universal’s 1931 classic, that immediately made him a horror icon. Before giving his final performance in Ed Wood’s infamous 1957 sci-fi flick Plan 9 from Outer Space, he even became a part of Universal’s Frankenstein franchise as Ygor, and as the Creature himself in the 1943 crossover Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

7. Boris Karloff 

Of course, the first image most associate with Frankenstein’s Monster (not Dr. Frankenstein, to be clear) is Bela Lugoi’s frequent co-star Boris Karloff, in Universal’s 1931 classic that immediately made him a horror legend. He also played the titular villain of 1932's The Mummy, and even got to portray the reversal of his best known role as a descendent of Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein 1970. His booming voice later became well-known among a young demographic for the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as both the narrator and the voice of Dr. Seuss’ curmudgeonly creation.

6. Barbara Crampton 

While not a household name like Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi, Barbara Crampton has just as much notoriety in the horror community as either of them for a career that is defined by, practically, all distinguished horror subgenres. From gross-out body horror in H.P. Lovecraft adaptations Re-Animator and From Beyond, the fun B-movie schlock in Chopping Mall, or clever home invasion thrills in You’re Next, she has literally done it all and, now in her 60s, she is far from finished, having recently appeared in a few Shudder movies (including Jakob’s Wife), the platform’s Creepshow TV series, and a new zombie video game called Back 4 Blood.

5. Robert Englund

Video games also appear on Robert Englund’s filmography, including 2011’s Mortal Kombat, in which he reprises Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Chewing the scenery for years as the badly burned, razor-gloved boogeyman would lead to a career of more blood and guts than you could ever dream of. In other words, Englund has also done it all when it comes to horror and still continues expand on his prevalence there to this day, such as joining the cast of Stranger Things Season 4 being one of his coolest new ventures.

4. Sigourney Weaver 

While Robert Englund is, admittedly, not known for much outside of horror, Sigourney Weaver is known for plenty more, but the first of her three Oscar nominations was for playing the undisputedly badass Ellen Ripley in 1986’s Aliens - the action-packed sequel to Alien. The 1979 sci-fi slasher skyrocketed her to the A-list, making her appearances in further thrillers like The Village, The Cabin in the Woods, or A Monster Calls all the more crowd-pleasing. Weaver is once again playing Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, proving she is always game to return to the genre that made her one of Hollywood’s most powerful stars.

3. Vincent Price 

Another horror icon known to employ a healthy sense of variety is Vincent Price, who became one of the genre's most famous faces in the 1950s for major roles in the original versions of House of Wax, The Fly, and House on Haunted Hill, as well as several Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. “The King of Grand Guignol” later had the honor of “rapping” in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and narrating a 1982 short film called Vincent (about a boy obsessed with the actor himself) which was written and directed by Tim Burton, who would cast him in Edward Scissorhands: his final theatrically released film.

2. Bruce Campbell 

No one has deserved to inherit the B-movie “King” title from Vincent Price like Bruce Campbell - co-producer and "final man" of the Evil Dead movies, who went on to be the ultimate horror movie hero in several more creepy and cheesy classics like Bubba Ho-Tep or My Name is Bruce (which he directs and plays himself in). Fans were saddened to see Campbell retire the Ash Williams character after Ash vs. Evil Dead's cancellation, but he is reprising the chainsaw-handed Deadite killer in the upcoming Evil Dead video game and is producing Evil Dead Rise, the franchise’s latest installment, with Sam Raimi.

1. Jamie Lee Curtis 

Also producing (and starring in) the newest installments of her flagship franchise is Jamie Lee Curtis, whom I previously called the all-time greatest horror Scream Queen. But, I also feel she is most qualified to be the all-time greatest horror movie actor, in general, since her debut role as Laurie Strode in 1978's Halloween set the modern precedent for great acting in horror movies. Despite confessing to not necessarily loving the genre, it still cannot get enough of her, which she seems proud of, especially considering her upcoming directorial debut, Mother Nature, is a Blumhouse-produced thriller.

Before we go, let's take a look at some honorable mentions of horror royalty who nearly made the cut.

Honorable Mentions

Anthony Perkins - Psycho (1960)

Heather Langenkamp - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 

Duane Jones - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Dee Wallace - The Howling (1981)

Kane Hodder - Friday the 13th movies (1988- 2003)

Lin Shaye - Insidious (2011)

Well, long live the King and Queen of horror, who I am surprised have never appeared in a movie together. (Make it happen, Hollywood!) Of course, naming Bruce Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis the ultimate in horror movie royalty is just one opinion among the many others that make the genre so wonderfully versatile. Whether it is slashers or ghost stories, there is always something different for everyone to enjoy, especially when their favorite actor is in the lead.

Sometimes horror movies evolve into franchises so popular that they get continued as (or spun-off into) horror TV shows, such as USA and Syfy’s new Chucky series, to name a more recent example. One of the most popular and acclaimed horror franchises, the Evil Dead movies, would continue (following the 2013 soft reboot) in the form of a TV show that saw Bruce Campbell’s iconic chainsaw-handed Deadite killer take on more life-threatening paranormal activity, but with a little more help this time, for three seasons. Heroes, villains, and some mixes of both make up the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast, whose careers since Starz cancelled the bloody hilarious series in 2018 we will break down for you now. Let’s go space truckin’!

Bruce Campbell (Ashley J. “Ash” Williams)

Playing the world’s unlikely savior against demons in 1981’s The Evil Dead and its sequels secured Bruce Campbell as a B-movie legend years before appearing in other cult classics like Intruder, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-Tep, and in his buddy Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies. He also has a much celebrated TV presence on shows like The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. in the title role, both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess as Autolycus, and Burn Notice as Sam Axe, who got his own prequel movie. Despite retiring the character after Ash vs. Evil Dead ended (which is why he is only executive producing the upcoming Evil Dead Rise), Campbell will return as Ash Williams in 2022’s Evil Dead video game, after starring in the horror comedy Black Friday and voicing Richard Nixon in the political docudrama, 18-1/2, in 2021. 

Ray Santiago (Pablo Bolivar)

When Ray Santiago first appeared as Ash’s co-worker-turned-friend-turned-“Ghost Beater” Pablo Bolivar, I (like many others, I am sure) initially recognized him from Meet the Fockers as a young man Jack Byrnes (Robert DeNiro) incorrectly suspects to be Greg’s (Ben Stiller) love child. Some also may have previously spotted him from the Fox sitcom Raising Hope, the Fox drama, Touch, opposite Kiefer Sutherland, 2011’s Justin Timberlake-led sci-fi thriller In Time, and the comedy Sex Ed, starring Haley Joel Osment, in 2014. Santiago followed Ash vs. Evil Dead with more horror - including the first installment of Hulu and Blumhouse’s Into the Dark, called The Body, in 2018, the 2019 black comedy Tone Deaf, and his upcoming reprisal of Pablo alongside Bruce Campbell in the Evil Dead video game.

Dana DeLorenzo (Kelly Maxwell) 

Also returning for the Evil Dead game as the badass Kelly Maxwell is Dana DeLorenzo, whose biggest claim to fame before Ash vs. Evil Dead was playing a fake CBS executive named Beth on The Late Late Show when Craig Ferguson was still host. Her first big TV role following the cancellation was in a flashback on a 2018 Will & Grace episode as Karen Walker’s mother, followed by a darkly funny Epix original Neo-Western TV show called Perpetual Grace, LTD, and a role in the ensemble comedy, Friendsgiving, in 2020. The comedian has also lent her voice to a puppet on AMC+’s Ultra City Smiths, and will star in an episode of Apple TV+’s female-driven anthology series, Roar.

Lucy Lawless (Ruby Knowby)

Playing Ruby Knowby - the immortal author of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis who has been both an enemy and ally to Ash - we have Lucy Lawless, made a legend by playing the title character of Xena: Warrior Princess, which was executive produced by her husband, Rob Tapert, along with his Evil Dead co-producer and creator Sam Raimi. Before becoming an Ash vs. Evil Dead cast regular, the New Zealander would go to space as a recurring Battlestar Galactica cast member, don medieval garb as Lucretia on Starz’s Spartacus and its prequel series, and join the Parks and Recreation cast as Ron Swanson’s new wife, Diane Lewis. Lawless now leads the Australian crime procedural My Life is Murder, and is lending her voice to Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2022.    

Jill Marie Jones (Amanda Fisher)

Another enemy turned ally (and love interest) to Ash in Season 1 is police officer Amanda Fisher, played by Jill Marie Jones, who was previously best-known as Antoinette 'Toni' Marie Childress Garrett on the hit UPN sitcom Girlfriends. However, she was also no stranger to horror beforehand, with the 2007 macabre rom-com Redrum, an episode of American Horror Story: Asylum, and a recurring spot on Sleepy Hollow on Fox. Jones followed Ash vs. Evil Dead by starring on the Urban Movie Channel original series Monogamy since 2018 and, in 2021, appeared in the fact-based drama Charming the Hearts of Men, and the Oprah Winfrey-produced drama Delilah. 

Ted Raimi (Chet Kaminski/Possessed Henrietta) 

Another Xena: Warrior Princess star was Ted Raimi, who acts in pretty much everything directed by his older brother, Sam, including Evil Dead 2 (the gold standard for horror-comedy movies) as one of the most iconic Deadites, Henrietta. The actor reprised the gross and physically demanding role on Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 2, along with new character Chet Kaminski - a local bartender and old friend of Ash's. Unsurprisingly, the star of countless scary flicks, like 1992’s Candyman and 2004’s The Grudge, followed his Ash vs. Evil Dead role with more horror, including appearances on two Shudder TV shows (the 2018 limited series Deadwax, and a 2021 episodes of Creepshow), but is also joining his longtime friend and collaborator Bruce Campbell in 18-1/2 as the voice Gen. Al Haig. 

Lee Majors (Brock Williams)

Also joining the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast in Season 2 as Ash’s father was Lee Majors, whose most legendary role was the half-man, half-machine Col. Steve Austin on the iconic TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man, in the 1970s. After returning as Brock Williams in Season 3 from beyond the grave, the now 82-year-old actor would continue to make fun cameos on TV shows like Netflix’s Fuller House, the new reboot of Magnum P.I., and Amazon Prime’s animated, puppet-free reboot of the Thunderbirds series. Majors will next appear in the rom-com Spring Break ’83 and the 2022 action thriller, Renegades, opposite Danny Trejo.

Arielle Carver-O’Neill (Brandy Barr) 

Joining the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast in Season 3 as the daughter Ash never knew he had, Brandy, is Arielle Carver-O’Neill. Like many other Australian actors before her, she landed her first big break on the long-running soap opera, Neighbours, for a 2011 episode before making her feature-length film debut in the 2015 sci-fi thriller, Predestination, opposite Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke. The 29-year-old has not appeared in anything since the Ash vs. Evil Dead finale, but will return to acting with the short film Hookers & Blow, and a comedy called It Only Takes a Night, which was filmed in her home country and is currently in post-production.

Lindsay Farris (Dalton) 

Also joining the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast in Season 3 as an ancestor of the Deadite-hunting Knights of Sumeria named Dalton is Lindsay Farris, who (like many other Australian actors before him) previously appeared on the long-running soap opera Home and Away in 2016 - the same year lent his voice to the fantasy film Gods of Egypt as an older version of Brenton Thwaites’ character, Bek. Also in 2018, he played real-life Manson Family victim Jay Sebring in Charlie Says, and appeared on a Season 3 episode of Fox’s Lethal Weapon reboot series. He would later collaborate with Lucy Lawless again on a My Life is Murder episode, and his most recent role was a 2020 crime thriller called We’re Not Here to Fuck Spiders.

Joel Tobeck (Baal)

When Lucy Lawless’ Ruby takes on a more heroic personality in Season 2, filling in the role of the main antagonist was the tricky demon Baal - played in human form by Joel Tobeck. Also known for playing an Orc in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and a recurring role as Donny in the Sons of Anarchy cast, the New Zealander had previously worked with some of the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast and producers on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, and 30 Days of Night from 2007. Tobeck had three big TV roles in 2020 (including limited series The Luminaries and Black Hands) and plays a priest in the new series, Alibi, in 2021. 

Michelle Hurd (Linda B. Emery) 

Season 2 also introduced us to one of Ash’s former lovers (and one of several named Linda) played by Michelle Hurd, whose most notable earlier credits include soap opera Another World, Law & Order: SVU, and 1997’s Justice League of America - one of the most infamous made-for-TV DC movies of all time. More horror would follow for the actress after her Ash vs. Evil Dead tenure, including the Hulu original movie Bad Hair in 2020 - the same year she joined the Star Trek: Picard cast as Raffi Musiker and reprised her role as Shepherd on Blindspot. Hurd’s most recent credit is playing Ebony Jackson on Pose’s third season on FX.

Samara Weaving (Heather) 

Thanks to films like the 2017 Shudder exclusive Mayhem, the Netflix original The Babysitter and its sequel, and the sleeper hit Ready or Not from 2019, Samara Weaving has cemented herself as one of her generation’s most powerful Scream Queens. However, what some do not realize is that her royal transition began when she appeared as an ill-fated backpacker named Heather in three episodes from Season 1 of Ash vs. Evil Dead. Outside of joining Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers cast, the Australian actress has since branched out well beyond horror, such as roles in films like Bill & Ted Face the Music, or in the Netflix limited series Hollywood, as well as upcoming movies like Babylon, and limited series like Down the Rabbit Hole, in which she portrays Playboy model Holly Madison.

I think that Ash vs. Evil Dead, which I believe is also the most perfect combination of gore and comedy in the whole franchise, is a testament to just how far prestigious horror TV shows have come, having landed such a “groovy” cast.

There are some things you see that you can’t forget, leading you to wake up from a fever dream every few years about it for the rest of your life. Bruce Campbell as everyone from The Addams Family is one of those things. Somebody made a wild deepfake of the iconic B-movie star, and it’s pretty unforgettable... and honestly, I don’t really want to ever forget about it.

Bruce Campbell is one of those actors who can laugh at himself and has always been very in tune with his fans and all the theories made about him. So it’s no surprise that he found a deepfake of himself and would be the one to share it so that the rest of his fans can enjoy the masterpiece that it is. While you might think it would be a little disturbing to see Campbell’s chin and the rest of his face transplanted onto an entire creepy, kooky and altogether ooky family, it actually kind of works.

I’ve seen it, now you have to; so here’s Bruce Campbell’s Twitter post showing him as each one of the Addams Family members:

While I’m kind of disappointed that Gomez isn’t more attractive with Bruce Campbell’s face, Uncle Fester really does look legit. Wednesday is downright horrifying, but honestly, that makes her a little more lovable and just strengthens her character traits. Thing, of course, doesn’t have a face to deepfake, but I really hope the creator took the initiative to deepfake Campbell’s hand and really complete this otherwise perfect family.

One member of the Addams Family really doesn’t get enough credit, and that’s Grandmama. Everyone forgets about her! The creator of this deepfake, though, really thought things through and slapped Bruce Campbell’s face under the wild mane of frizzled grey hair, even toning the shade of his skin to a nice old grey.

Most of the comments on Bruce Campbell’s Tweet are ecstatic about the deepfake, saying they would pay large sums of money for this project to actually happen (I wouldn’t hold my breath though). However, one fan even says that if there were to be another lockdown where people have to isolate themselves again, he wouldn’t be surprised if Campbell actually makes the deepfake a reality. I mean, he’s definitely done weirder things - remember his mummy-hunting elderly Elvis?

Some fans, though, seem to hate it. One comment simply says “No,” while others really are diving deep into how much the deepfake disturbed them, particularly where Bruce Campbell’s Morticia is concerned. Okay, well, he doesn’t make nearly as lovely of a Morticia as Carolyn Jones or Anjelica Huston.

Love it or hate it, you will surely remember it. I certainly won’t be getting it out of my head any time soon. Bruce Campbell's (very likely) appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may help us forget the unforgettable, though, so see if you can spot him in the upcoming film next year.

Anyone familiar with Bruce Campbell knows that he’s tight with director Sam Raimi. The two men skyrocketed to fame together with 1981’s The Evil Dead, and they’ve collaborated on numerous other projects since then, which includes Campbell playing three different characters in Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. With Raimi having returned to the superhero realm to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s been rumored that Campbell will show up in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, and the actor delivered an A+ response addressing those claims.

While plugging The Evil Dead’s return to theaters on October 7, Bruce Campbell chatted with EW about his potential involvement with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After noting that this was a “pretty good rumor,” which is wording he believed wouldn’t get him “sued,” Campbell said the following:

It’s hard to argue with that logic, so if Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stands any chance of being good, we should likely expect Bruce Campbell to be involved in some way, even if the actor isn’t willing to confirm anything just yet. Of course, let’s not forget that Campbell himself shared a very teasing photo back in late February of the London skyline, and that happens to be the same city where Multiverse of Madness was shooting. Coincidence? Personally, I think not, but that can’t be said with 100% certainty just yet.

For what it’s worth, Bruce Campbell expressed interest in appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness back in April 2020, shortly after it was confirmed that Sam Raimi inherited the helming reins from Scott Derrickson. So I find it difficult that Raimi would pass up on the opportunity to fit his friend into Stephe Strange’s next cinematic adventure. Just don’t expect Campbell to reprise Ash Williams there; that’s simply April Fools fodder.

As for who is confirmed to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, along with Benedict Cumberbatch obviously reprising the eponymous protagonist, we’ll also reunite with Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong’s Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo and Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer. So far the only confirmed new character is America Chavez, who will be played by Xochitl Gomez. Loki head writer Michael Waldron was brought aboard to rewrite the script back in February 2020.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will cast its spell in theaters on March 25, 2022. While we wait for more updates on its progress, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for news concerning other upcoming Marvel movies, and be sure to look through our 2022 release schedule to learn what non-Marvel offerings are on the horizon.

One thing pretty much any Evil Dead fan will tell you is that series mainstay, Ash Williams, played by cult icon Bruce Campbell, is the heart and soul of the popular horror franchise. The chainsaw for a hand, the utterly groovy catchphrases, they’re all a huge part of the character’s awesomeness and influence, especially when it comes to movies like Army of Darkness, which was a lot of fans' introduction to the popular cult series. These days, Bruce Campbell still loves talking about Ash and he recently solved a mystery related to an Army of Darkness poster.

In many ways, social media has allowed fans to reach out to the star directly. And while many fans know the actor quite well for his humor and charisma in the popular show, Ash Vs. The Evil Dead, there's one thing that fans typically don't think of when they picture their hero from the Evil Dead series—Bruce Campbell's massively bulging, body builder physique. But that’s exactly what foreign audiences got on 1992’s Army of Darkness movie poster.

Here’s what Bruce Campbell had to say about the Conan the Barbarian-esque physique in said poster when a Twitter fan poked a little fun at the poster. After said fan noted, "Good, Bad, I'm the guy with the pecks," the actor responded:

For anybody who has actually seen Army of Darkness, you’ll know that nothing of this sort is even remotely close to what we get in the final product. Yes, the chainsaw and shotgun, or “boomstick” part are true to the actual film, but the idea of Bruce Campbell -- who has always had more of a normal-guy-down-the-street appearance than this ripped and incredibly muscular physique -- is kind of hysterical.

Especially since Army of Darkness actually strays away from the idea of a heroic Ash and veers more into the horror comedy angle that many fans would associate with the series later on. Unlike the first two Evil Dead movies (which are more horror flicks), Army of Darkness, which is technically Evil Dead 3, is completely comedy, playing to the actor’s slapstick strengths and having him even do comedy bits from The Three Stooges. So Conan, it’s definitely not.

Ash Vs. the Evil Dead even played to the idea of Ash being this out of shape dude who has to get back into Deadite-killing mode. So, the idea that this schlubby guy who worked at a supermarket for a day job being this huge, muscular hero on the overseas poster is pretty comical in itself, to say the very least.

Bruce Campbell has already stated that Ash is retired, but he’s obviously still very much connected to the character and the legacy of the series, which will continue with the next movie, Evil Dead Rise. We’re still not certain if Bruce Campbell will have a cameo role in the film, which he promises will not focus on another cabin in the woods, but it would be pretty funny if he was teased in a trailer with a muscular physique as a callback to that hilarious poster.

This poll is no longer available.

There was once a time when digitally replacing a person’s face with someone else’s was the stuff of fantasy. Nowadays though, you won’t have any trouble finding such a feat, with deepfakes being one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the internet. Tom Cruise in particular become a popular deepfake target, with a recent video replacing the Mission: Impossible actor’s face with Bruce Campbell’s. Fortunately, the Evil Dead star approves of this facial transfer.

Using footage from 2018’s Mission: Impossible - Fallout, here we see how Bruce Campbell rushing to save the world as Ethan Hunt would look like if Bruce Campbell played the role. Take a look at the Twitter video!

It’s worth noting that this Tom Cruise deepfake Bruce Campbell shared does not originate from the deeptomcruiseTikTok account that’s collected a lot of attention in recent months. Frankly, it’s unclear who made this latest deepfake with the Reface app, whether it was an outside party or Campbell (or someone he knows) simply made it. Either way, for those of you who ever wondered, either purposefully or as part of a fever dream, what it would be like if Campbell led a Mission: Impossible movie, now you have a taste of that.

Now obviously the Ethan Hunt role belongs to Tom Cruise, with the actor having played the character since 1996 and on deck to play him at least two more times. That’s not to say that there might not come a day when Cruise exits the Mission: Impossible franchise and Paramount Pictures decides to recast the character, although in that scenario, I imagine the studio would pick a younger actor to take the reins. The point being, don’t go thinking Bruce Campbell is suddenly on deck to fill the Ethan Hunt shoes, even though Campbell is only four years older than Cruise.

That being said, if there’s still time, I wouldn’t mind seeing Bruce Campbell seen in Mission: Impossible 8. The actor, best known for playing Ash Williams in the Evil Dead franchise, knows his way around non-horror corners of the Hollywood sphere, whether it’s cameoing in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy or taking part in Oz the Great and Powerful. Campbell is also no stranger to espionage-related stories, having starred as Sam Axe on the TV series Burn Notice. With all these bonafides, I can’t be the only one who’d like to see him leave a mark on the Mission: Impossible franchise, right?

Should Bruce Campbell be drawn into the world of the IMF, we’ll obviously let you know, but at least Mission: Impossible fans can take comfort knowing that the next installment has a stacked cast. Along with familiar faces like Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson returning alongside Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible 7’s new faces include Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham and Cary Elwes, among others. As for Campbell, it’s looking like his next movie will be Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with his old buddy Sam Raimi directing the sequel.

Mission: Impossible 7 opens in theaters on May 27, 2022, and Mission: Impossible 8 will follow on July 7, 2023. If you’re wondering what movies are still slated to arrive later this year, head to our 2021 release schedule.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Throughout the past couple of years, the Evil Dead franchise has been promising to return. 2020 was an especially exciting year for such promises, as details here and there started to leak out about what was eventually named Evil Dead Rise. Well, the largest of updates has just landed on the world’s doorstep, as the next chapter in Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell’s legacy is officially headed to streaming. Better still, we now know the story of this brand new project as well!

Per an official announcement from Warner Bros, director Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise will now be an HBO Max original film! As the franchise is returning home to the WB owned New Line Cinema, almost 40 years after their release of The Evil Dead, the stars have aligned for this terrifying tale to finally be told. And according to the official logline of the film, here’s what we should be expecting:

The sisters at the heart of Evil Dead Rise will be played by Vikings’ actor Alyssa Sutherland, as well as Lily Sullivan, who most notably starred in the Amazon Prime Video original series Picnic at Hanging Rock. And though Bruce Campbell is still very much retired from the character of Ash Williams, legendary Deadite slayer in the Evil Dead saga, he’s executive producing this film alongside friend and franchise mastermind Sam Raimi.

Unfortunately, there are no details on just when production is supposed to kick off, or even when Evil Dead Rise should reasonably be expected to debut. However, we do know that Lee Cronin’s film will be shooting in New Zealand when it gets underway. If you’re in an international territory outside of HBO Max’s reach, a theatrical release is being planned. In any event, Evil Dead fans can officially get excited, as someone's about to read the forbidden text of the Necronomicon yet again, unleashing some more blood-soaked fun.

Evil Dead Rise doesn’t have a release date just yet, but whenever the old gods deem it so (and the film is in the shape to be released), HBO Max will be where you want to head to watch the results! If you’re already a subscriber, then we wish you the best of luck waiting patiently. However, if you’re a newcomer to the platform, check out the six-month prepaid subscription offer that’s currently underway, as there’s plenty for you to catch up on in the meantime.

Back in February, Bruce Campbell all but officially confirmed that he will be in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Posting a photo of the London skyline, the actor wrote on Twitter, "Boy, it was a blast, working in a certain city, with a certain director on a certain movie with a certain actor - it sure was!" and the message was pretty clear that he had the opportunity to once again collaborate with longtime friend Sam Raimi. What we don't know at this point is anything about the role that he is playing in the blockbuster, and Campbell has crafted an April Fools Day prank taking advantage of that fact – suggesting that next year we will get to see a Marvel Cinematic Universe/Evil Dead crossover.

As you can see below, Bruce Campbell has "accidentally" posted a photo of his Doctor Strange In The Muliverse Of Madness script, and while the words "Ash Williams" and "Necronomicon" aren't actually featured, there is no questioning the amazingness that is being implied here:

Obviously this is a joke, and one would be incredibly foolish to take it seriously (hence the name of the holiday), but does anyone else really, really wish that there is some kind of double-reverse pranking going on here? Posting this on April 1st, Bruce Campbell knows that nobody is going to take it seriously, but what if it actually is real and (while dancing around copyright) Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness finds some way to actually have Ash Williams appear?

Again, it's totally nuts to believe it will happen, but it isn't all that outlandish to believe that the Marvel Studios film could feature a scene like this one. The film presumably is going to feature Doctor Strange doing some hopping around the multiverse, so the idea of him accidentally ending up at the Evil Dead cabin isn't totally preposterous. And while we don't actually know anything about the plot of Doctor Strange 2, it's not impossible to believe that the Darkhold is somehow involved following its appearance in the final episodes of WandaVision (which we know is directly tied to Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness via Scarlet Witch).

Need more? Does the fact that there is a Marvel Zombies vs. The Army Of Darkness series do anything for you?

Regardless, this is weirdly a win-win situation. If we do wind up seeing this scene in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, we'll all be able to laugh because the Evil Dead star tricked us into thinking that it was just a prank. And if he instead has a totally different role to play in the sequel, that's great too! Just getting to see Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell work together again is always going to make us happy, independent of anything else that happens.

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is still in production, but will be heading to theaters on March 25, 2022.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Ever since Sam Raimi was confirmed to be taking over direction of the Doctor Strange sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, speculation of B-movie king Bruce Campbell’s involvement has been rampant. Not only have the pair worked together in a large number of Raimi’s films (hello - Evil Dead?), but Campbell has also explicitly expressed his desire to work on the Doctor Strange sequel. While there are still plenty of questions surrounding the upcoming Marvel film, Campbell just gave fans a lot of hope with a vague (but also seemingly very clear?) Twitter post possibly confirming his cameo in Raimi’s upcoming blockbuster.

To the delight of Marvel and horror fans alike, Bruce Campbell just posted a little tease to his Twitter that alludes to the fact that he will indeed be present in the next Doctor Strange film. The Army of Darkness star posted a picture that is very clearly London, with references to working “with a certain director on a certain movie with a certain actor”. You can see the teasy tweet below:

Nice try Bruce, but we know what’s up. Leave it to the Bubba Ho-Tep actor to find a loophole and tell us he’s in the film without really telling us he’s in the film. This should also keep him off the list of Marvel stars who are prone to spoilers. While we can pretty much take this as confirmation that Bruce Campbell will appear in the film somewhere, it’s still very unclear in what capacity the iconic star will be utilized.

Doctor Strange's time in the MCU is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Bruce Campbell has appeared in very different capacities throughout his partnership with Sam Raimi. While Campbell has starred in a number of his films, he has also had tiny, barely noticeable parts as well. In Raimi’s Spider-Man films with Tobey McGuire, Campbell has had different small cameos in each film. It’s possible we will see a similar part for Campbell in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but there's also theories he will play a much bigger part.

Bruce Campbell has had a lot to say on the topic of superhero films, and he has expressed his desire to appear in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. While making this campaign, Campbell alluded to wanting to play the part of the film’s antagonist, stating that there must be somebody who challenges Doctor Strange. You know, meaning himself.

It would be utterly amazing to see the legend that is Bruce Campbell become a major villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That is, if the Doctor Strange sequel is that certain movie with that certain director Campbell speaks of, wink wink. Either way, we can expect Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness sometime next year, as long as we don’t see it take on any more delays. Until then, we’ll be on the lookout for more not-so-vague hints from the actor.

No one in their right mind would refute Stan Lee’s title as the ultimate king of cameos, having showed up in more superhero movies than anyone else can claim - including the rare DC adaptation once. While the late comic book mogul’s traditional appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe never failed to make us chuckle or bring a smile to our faces, due to the common expectation of his cameos, I almost find it more more memorable and hilarious when a celebrity shows up in a comic book flick when you least expect it.

Sometimes a superhero movie cameo is played earnestly and to served the story directly, such as when Hugh Jackman showed up in X-Men: Apocalypse as “Weapon X” or Neil DeGrasse Tyson providing his cosmic expertise to a deep discussion of the Man of Steel in Batman v. Superman. However, it is always more fun when those brief appearances are played for laughs, such as the Russo Brothers’ many no-longer-so-covert attempts at sneaking as many Community cast alums into their Marvel movies as possible.

Personally, I would not consider those particular superhero movie cameos as ones truly turned out a laugh riot, but there are countless others I that would count as such - not just in their execution but also in the underlying pop culture reference they brilliantly poke fun at. I believe that the following 12 actors and their appearances in films inspired by the pages of Marvel, DC, and even beyond, do fall under that criteria - such as this actor, who was actually the first to play Ant-Man in a live action setting.

Garrett Morris - Old Man In Car (Ant-Man)

In a 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live, host Margot Kidder reprised her role as Lois Lane, who invited fellow superheroes to a party at her and Superman’s apartment, including Ant-Man (Garrett Morris). It was this sketch that inspired Paul Rudd to tap the Not Ready For Primetime Player and for a brief role in his 2015 Ant-Man movie as a man whose car Scott Lang puts a huge dent in during a bewildering test run of Hank Pym’s shrink suit.

Lou Ferrigno - Security Guard (The Incredible Hulk)

The first live action appearance of The Incredible Hulk was also on TV in the late 1970s, as played by Lou Ferrigno, who would not only voice the big, green hero for the MCU, but would appear on camera in both of his solo movies - each time as a security guard. His cameo in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk (which also pays subtle tribute to Bill Bixby, who played Ferrigno’s human alter ego on the original series) is arguably funnier, in which the bodybuilder gets bribed by Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) with pizza for access to Culver University’s lab.

Jennifer Connelly - Karen (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

A fellow alum of 2003’s Hulk who would make a brief, and far more subtle, MCU appearance is Jennifer Connelly as Karen - Peter Parker’s nickname for his Spidey suit’s built-in AI, courtesy of Tony Stark. The banter between Tom Holland and Connelly’s disembodied voice is already one of the most endearingly funny moments in Spider-Man Homecoming, but what really makes this cameo is the fact that the Oscar winner’s real-life husband is Paul Bettany, who voiced Stark’s virtual assistant JARVIS before upgrading to Vision.

Adam Brody - Super Hero Freddy (Shazam!)

Years before the behind-the-scenes drama of 2017’s Justice League, Warner Bros. hired George Miller for an adaptation of the DC superhero team, featuring Adam Brody as The Flash, that never happened. It became one of the most infamous let-downs of the former OC star’s career, which is why his appearance as a grown-up, super-powered Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) in 2019’s Shazam! is especially satisfying, albeit snicker-inducing.

Billy Dee Williams - Two Face (The LEGO Batman Movie)

Speaking of actors who were robbed of a comic book role opportunity, Billy Dee Williams was cast in Tim Burton’s Batman as Harvey Dent - who was later recast in 1995’s Batman Forever with Tommy Lee Jones as the Gotham DA’s villainous alter ego. The Star Wars actor finally received justice in 2017 when he voiced Two-Face in The LEGO Batman Movie - which I think is at least tied with Killer Croc’s proud declaration to have done “something” (an indictment on his Suicide Squad portrayal) as the animated film’s funniest cameo.

Elon Musk - Himself (Iron Man 2)

A lot of people like to have fun thinking of billionaire tech industrialist Elon Musk as the real-life counterpart of Tony Stark (save the whole superhero thing, of course). The comparison is so on-the-nose, really (even beyond the reality within the MCU), that you cannot help but just laugh at the plausibility of witnessing Stark and the South African-born Tesla founder casually discuss plans for “an electric jet” at a party, just as they do in Iron Man 2 in 2010.

Hugh Jackman - Wolverine (X-Men: First Class)

At a time when no X-Men film felt complete without Wolverine, in 2011, director Matthew Vaughn and co. managed to squeeze Hugh Jackman into the 1960s-set prequel X-Men: First Class for an uncredited appearance that, while extremely brief, remains one of his most memorable in the franchise. When a younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) approach the cigar-chomping mutant in a bar, before they can even announce the purpose of their visit, he dismisses them with a tease of the racy language he would use more frequently in Logan.

Brad Pitt - Vanisher (Deadpool 2)

Logan was also heavily ridiculed in Deadpool 2 - the sequel to star Ryan Reynolds' apology for his original portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth (or, more accurately, without one) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine - and was also home to a slew of amazing cameos. Among of the most pleasant surprise appearances in the 2018 action-comedy is the literally, blink-and-you-miss-it reveal of Brad Pitt as invisible X-Force member Vanisher, which was achieved by buying the Fight Club actor some Starbucks coffee, as Reynolds later claimed.

Matt Damon - Redneck #2 (Deadpool 2), Actor Loki (Thor: Ragnarok)

Another Deadpool 2 cameo many did not catch on their first viewing was Matt Damon as a hillbilly explaining his strange toilet tissue aversion to an equally well-disguised Alan Tudyk before a deadly interruption by Cable (Josh Brolin). The Oscar-winner’s more overt, and arguably more hilarious, surprise appearance months earlier in Thor: Ragnarok (as an actor hired by Loki to reenact his “death” in Thor: The Dark World) was also a group effort with Chris Hemsworth’s brother, Luke, playing the God of Thunder and Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill as their father, Odin.

Most Of The X-Men Cast (Deadpool 2)

Speaking of group efforts, just about, the most epic cameo that Deadpool 2 had to offer required the participation of several additional other Marvel movie actors whose absence was jokingly acknowledged in the previous film. That joke was recalled to perfection when Wade Wilson, once again, complains about the lack of X-Men characters in his presence at the Xavier Mansion, unwitting to the fact that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), and others are right behind him, but Beast (Nicolas Hoult) closes the door to Xavier’s office before he can notice.

Lynda Carter - Principal Powers (Sky High)

Calling Lynda Carter’s role in Sky High a cameo is honestly a bit of a reach, but she does make a pretty funny reference at one point to her years leading the Wonder Woman TV show in the late 1970s. Not to mention, she does get less screen time in the 2005 Disney flick as Principal Powers, head of the titular school for young superheroes in training, than her co-star Bruce Campbell, who essentially made his superhero character debut as Coach Boomer (a.k.a., Sonic Boom) despite a few earlier, small comic book movie appearances.

Bruce Campbell - Ring Announcer, Snooty Usher, And Maître D’ (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy)

I bet director Sam Raimi even agrees that no movie of his feels truly genuine without the presence of his iconic Evil Dead franchise star in some capacity, which is why we are hoping to see Bruce Campbell in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and why he cameos in all three of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies. From a wrestling host who names Peter Parker’s alter ego in the first film, to an usher who refuses to let him into Mary Jane’s play in Spider-Man 2, and a French restaurant maître d’ in the final installment, you could make an argument for why each of Campbell’s appearances is better than the rest, or even that they get funnier with each movie.

What do you think? Is Bruce Campbell the primary reason you still re-watch Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy often, or do you find the B-movie king’s cameos to be an unwanted distraction in your favorite comic book movie franchise? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on some of the other funny moments that tend to pop up in superhero movies, here on CinemaBlend.

Bruce Campbell could single-handedly find the cure for COVID-19 and the man will still be remembered for the Evil Dead franchise above all else. Ash Williams has become an iconic hero, and while Bruce Campbell has promised that his boomstick wielding days are over, the Evil Dead franchise will live on in a new movie, which now has a new name and apparently will be something quite different from what we've come to expect from Evil Dead.

Originally, Bruce Campbell revealed that a new Evil Dead movie called Evil Dead Now was on the way, from director Lee Cronin, who was chosen by creator Sam Raimi to helm the new project. However, Bruce Campbell recently told Diabolique Magazine that the movie now has a slightly different title. He also confirmed that one fairly traditional element in the previous films, the setting, will be quite different this time around. According to Campbell...

At this point, exactly what Evil Dead Rise will be seems to be defined mostly by what it is not. It will not include Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams and apparently won't be about a "cabin in the woods" as both the original movie, the sequel, and the 2013 remake were all about. Whether the movie is a remake, reboot or sequel, is far from clear.

For his part, Bruce Campbell had previously said that the main thing that the Evil Dead movies needed was heroes that were just regular people, so whoever our main character is we can be sure they'll be in over the head fighting other worldly monsters, at least as the film gets started.

The 2013 remake made some significant changes to the characters in the film, but kept the core of the story essentially the same. It looks like we can expect Evil Dead Rise to be even more of a very different thing. Of course, then one has to wonder just what will make Evil Dead Rise feel like an Evil Dead movie and not simply seem like just another horror movie. Or even another horror-comedy, depending on whether Evil Dead Rise takes more inspiration from the original film or its sequels.

Exactly what Bruce Campbell's role with the new movie is, isn't entirely clear though it sounds like he's acting as a producer on the new film. Clearly, even if he's never in front of the camera again playing Ash, Campbell will never really be done with Evil Dead. At least that way, we can be sure there will be somebody there who will be working to make the future of the franchise something that long time fans will enjoy.

Few recent updates in the behind-the-scenes world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been as exciting as confirmation that Sam Raimi has taken over directorial duties for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If there was anything that could put a bigger smile on fans’ faces than the filmmaker’s return to comic book movies, it would be the potential for an appearance of his long time friend and collaborator, Bruce Campbell.

I should mention that at this time, there is no confirmation that Bruce Campbell will be cast opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the magical Marvel movie. However, the man himself has been quite vocal that he wants dibs on a role, and everyone knows that no Sam Raimi project is complete without the legendary star of his Evil Dead franchise, and that is enough to keep my faith in this idea alive.

In anticipation, we're left to wonder what possible characters from the Marvel Universe (or, in this case, the Multiverse) may be blessed with that unmistakable chin. Five potential candidates for Sam Raimi to direct Bruce Campbell as in the Doctor Strange sequel come to mind.

Mister Sinister

When Bruce Campbell said he wanted in on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he hinted at having a particular interest in playing a someone sinister, and BossLogic was clearly listening. In mid-April, the viral artist released via Instagram a piece that, quite convincingly, imagines the B-movie icon as Mister Sinister, born Nathaniel Essex in 19th-Century London, who lives up to his alias by using his Alpha-Level mutant abilities (which include everything from shape-shifting to telepathy to put the world in a lot of trouble.

Although Sinister is best known as a common adversary of the X-Men, he still bears the appearance and skill of someone who could give Doctor Strange a run for his money. This could be a great opportunity to connect the mutant heroes to the MCU, and could potentially give Campbell the chance for his most grimly earnest performance yet.

Nightmare

A being who is just as sinister is one who has gone by many names, among them the Lord of Dreams. His true name is simply, and aptly, Nightmare. Essentially the Freddy Krueger of the Marvel Universe, but with far better sense of fashion, this demonic entity with the ability to capture a sleeping person’s astral form into his own realm is of extra-dimensional origin.

Nightmare has been known as one of Doctor Strange’s greatest adversaries since first clashing with the Sorcerer Supreme in an issue of Marvel’s Strange Tales title in 1963. That should be enough to convince Sam Raimi to pit these two against each other in some capacity in his sequel, in addition to the potential for Bruce Campbell to put a fresh spin on the character that would allow him to utilize the charming, goofier side of his personality in his performance.

Mojo

On the other hand, the Marvel Universe is not short on characters who are already a perfect match for Bruce Campbell’s comedic timing, and a pitch perfect example of that is Mojo, another frequent X-Men villain who can talk a mile a minute despite his tragically short attention span. As a result, he is quite obsessed with television, and the political structure of his own dimension is based on a ratings system of similar design, which reflects creator Ann Nocenti’s intention to write the character as a parody of network executives.

Given Bruce Campbell’s experience hosting the game show Last Fan Standing and the latest edition of Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, giving life to this heavy-set, partially mechanical competition monger would be effortless if Doctor Strange’s interdimensional journey were to take a slight detour into the “Mojoverse.”

Random Cameo

While making Bruce Campbell a Marvel villain would be a dream come true, with Chiwetel Ejiofor reportedly reprising his role as Karl Mordo, who has a more sinister agenda in the sequel, it does not look likely that is role would end up being that big if cast. However, the actor made each of his brief, respective cameos in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (a wrestling host, a strict usher and a French restaurant maitre d’) among the more memorably hilarious moments of each installment, and he could easily do the same again as some other random person.

In fact, seeing him reprise one (or even all) of those cameos in a moment that sees Doctor Strange cross into the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man universe would be an Easter Egg on par with J.K. Simmons' surprise return as J. Jonah Jameson. However, the ultimate Easter Egg would see Campbell reprise his most famous character...

Ash Williams

You primitive screwheads must be thinking, "How would it be possible for Bruce Campbell's "boomstick" wielding, chainsaw-handed, lovably dim-witted Deadite slayer to cross paths with Doctor Strange?" Well, as previously established, the title of this sequel hints at an adventure than spans multiple dimensions, which means a peek at the infinite amount of alternate realities existing concurrently within the original comic book source material is not out the question.

Plus, what if I told you that thanks to a crossover between Marvel Zombies and Dynamite Entertainment's comic book series adaptation of Army of Darkness (the third film of the Evil Dead franchise), Ashley "Ash" J. Williams himself exists in one of those realities? That's right, Sam Raimi's iconic horror franchise is sort of canon to the Marvel lexicon. Therefore, if Bruce Campbell chooses to bring his best-known character out of retirement, Doctor Strange could possibly come face to face with "the King."

What do you think? Do you see any of these characters as the perfect vessel for Bruce Campbell to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or have I dishonored “the King”? Well, Mr. Fancy Pants, why don’t you let us know your thoughts in the comments and be sure to check back for more updates on the Doctor Strange sequel, the whereabouts of our “groovy” B-movie hero and even more hypothetical casting scenarios here on CinemaBlend.

After two months of Sam Raimi reportedly being “in talks” to assume Scott Derrickson’s role as director on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the filmmaker behind Evil Dead and the Spider-Man trilogy just made it official this week. And what would be a Raimi project without his frequent collaborator, Bruce Campbell? That’s the exact question Evil Dead’s Ash is adding to the conversation with these words:

Bruce Campbell took to Twitter to comment on the news that Sam Raimi is returning to direct another Marvel film after seven years away from helming feature films. The actor sounds ready to go and be a part of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And considering the pair’s track record, chances are he might just make his way into the sequel in one way or another.

The collaborators worked together on Sam Raimi’s first directing project back in 1981, Evil Dead, and have been pretty much inseparable since then. After the Evil Dead trilogy, Bruce Campbell also had small, but memorable cameo roles in each of Raimi's Spider-Man films as the Ring Announcer when Spider-Man first gets his name, a “Snooty Usher” when Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is attempting to see Mary Jane in a play in Spider-Man 2, and as a Maître d' during a failed proposal sequence in Spider-Man 3.

Bruce Campbell also made his way in Sam Raimi’s last blockbuster project, 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful, and he was the star of STARZ’s Ash vs. Evil Dead for three seasons, which Raimi was an executive producer on. The filmmaker also recently said he is working on another Evil Dead with new talent behind the camera, and he said he’d like to do it with Campbell despite him being retired from the role.

The Ash vs. the Evil Dead actor sounds like he wants to play a villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we’ll have to see how things shake out. He could make his way through another cameo-type appearance or perhaps find a larger role in the MCU sequel. Raimi took over the reigns on Doctor Strange 2 after Scott Derrickson decided to step away from the job. The director of 2016’s Doctor Strange is making it clear that he loves the pick for his replacement, and he's still attached to the sequel as an executive producer.

What’s exciting about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is it will take advantage of Sam Raimi’s experience with the superhero genre and his roots in horror. According to Kevin Feige, it will be a “big MCU film with scary sequences in it.” Following Scott Derrickson’s exit from the movie, it’s unclear if his description of it at San Diego Comic Con when the title was introduced is still part of the vision. He said he based its roots on the Doctor Strange comics that “dipped into the gothic and the horror and the horrific.”

Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is expected to hit theaters on November 5, 2021.

As sure as Ash has a loaded boomstick at the ready and the Necronomicon is bound in rotted flesh, the Evil Dead franchise is still being touted as returning in some way shape or form. With The Grudge in theaters this weekend, and producer Sam Raimi making the rounds to promote the film, it feels like a good time to get an update on the series creator’s intentions for his sainted creation.

Naturally, things haven’t changed all that much since the last time we heard from Mr. Raimi, as he still wants to do another dance with the Deadites, whether or not Bruce Campbell’s Ash will return or not. In a recent online Q&A, those intentions were laid out with these specific caveats:

Previously on Hollywood vs. The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi had used his spot on the Crawl press tour to talk up the fact that there were a couple of directions that the franchise he built with producer Rob Tapert and actor Bruce Campbell could go. No specifics were mentioned, but as always, Raimi was open to anything, and Campbell was listed as a party interested in where things were going.

Flash forward to a couple of months ago, and Bruce Campbell stated how a new team was selected to refresh the Evil Dead saga for a new era of horror-comedy goodness, namely a filmmaker who Sam Raimi had chosen himself. Campbell also gave a promise of new actors that “don’t completely suck” also being on the horizon.

Which brings us to Sam Raimi’s reassurance through a recent AMA on Reddit that whether Bruce Campbell budges from his promise of retirement or not, the Evil Dead will return! However, if you were hoping Raimi would return to the director’s chair himself in the world he made famous, it sounds like Bruce Campbell’s return would be the sticking point for his participation.

But as everyone knows, save for a random appearance in character for the video game Dead By Daylight, Bruce Campbell has sworn he’s retired from playing Ashley “Ash” Williams since the Starz TV show Ash vs. The Evil Dead went off the air in 2018. And with his insistence that a younger actor take over the role, it sounds like a lot of budging will have to be applied to this titan of terror defense to make him change his mind.

At the very least, another new entry in the Evil Dead franchise will be happening, with fresh blood flowing freely in the creative landscape of the storied series. While it may not be the Raimi/Campbell team-up folks have been hoping for, there’s always the chance that this is a stealth sequel to writer/director Fede Alvarez’s previous reboot. But that’s another chain of bloody wishes to talk about for another day.

Since there’s no timetable on this new Evil Dead project, you can always support the home team at Ghost House Productions by seeing The Grudge, which is in theaters now. Or, if you’ve caught wind of the reviews surrounding that particular film and want to see something else, try looking at our 2020 release schedule to see if anything else catches your fancy.

Although this weekend sees the long-awaited release of Zombieland: Double Tap, fans of horror-comedy are also eagerly awaiting the return of one of that sub-genre’s signature franchises, Evil Dead. Fortunately, there looks to be some movement on that front. The next Evil Dead movie has taken a big step forward, according to face of the franchise Bruce Campbell, who recently said:

The next Evil Dead movie has a filmmaker on board. Although Bruce Campbell did not say who it is and there has been no formal announcement, it seems that there is a director attached for the next installment of the Evil Dead franchise. Whoever it is, he or she has apparently been handpicked by franchise creator and the writer/director of the original Evil Dead trilogy, Sam Raimi.

This would seem to indicate that Fede Alvarez, who directed the 2013 remake of the property, will not be returning for this new film and a newcomer will be brought in. Whoever it is they’ll have help because as Bruce Campbell told the audience at the Rock and Shock Convention in Massachusetts (via Bloody Disgusting), Sam Raimi will be very involved in this next iteration of his horror-comedy franchise.

Over the summer Sam Raimi spoke about his desire to get another Evil Dead feature film made, and it seems that things are progressing in that regard with a director attached. Back in July Raimi said that there were a couple of ideas he, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert were looking at for the next movie and it seems like they must have settled on one.

Bruce Campbell seems confident that another movie is happening and said that they have a cool premise for it, teasing creepy books and people to torment, hallmarks of the franchise. He also said that Sam Raimi will be heavily involved in the film and the story, which should be encouraging for fans of the original trilogy.

In classic Bruce Campbell fashion, he also noted the importance of finding actors who don’t suck to star in the next Evil Dead movie. Sadly, Bruce Campbell’s Ash will not be among the cast, no matter what this next movie is. Following the cancellation of the Starz underwatched but fan favorite series Ash vs. Evil Dead after three seasons, Bruce Campbell officially retired as his iconic horror character.

Bruce Campbell has spoken about wanting to see someone else take up the mantle and he reiterated that again when he said:

Self-deprecating and hilarious as always, Bruce Campbell isn’t precious about Ash and is totally willing and even excited to see someone else take up the boomstick and save the world from evil. Who that will be and what that story will be is something we’ll have to wait to find out.

If a new actor plays Ash or if the franchise gets a new lead hero, it would point towards the next Evil Dead movie being a reboot, unless they choose to do a continuation of Fede Alvarez’s remake. I suppose they could do a sequel to the original trilogy and Bruce Campbell could return briefly just to pass on the mantle, although that was kind of what he was doing in Ash vs. Evil Dead.

Wherever the Evil Dead franchise goes from here, fans can take comfort knowing that even if Bruce Campbell is retired as Ash, Evil Dead is not dead and things are in the works. With a new filmmaker attached and Sam Raimi in the fold, maybe we’ll hear more about this project sooner rather than later.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the big movies coming to theaters this year and for the latest horror movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

You'd think that superhero fatigue would be setting in by now, but money raked in by films such as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home says that the genre is alive and well. And while the quality of superhero films varies from movie to movie, different people resonate with so many different heroes that the genre will always have something for everyone. Horror icon Bruce Campbell (of The Evil Dead fame) is of a different mind. He's one of many Hollywood figures to question superhero films and voice the belief that they don't really offer anything special or new.

During an interview with io9 at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, he contrasted the invulnerability of superheroes with normal people struggling to survive in an adverse situation, against stacked odds. To him, that's infinitely more interesting than whether or not Thor would beat Captain Marvel in a fight. He thinks vulnerability and mortality are necessary because they put normal people in real danger. Bruce Campbell thinks that superheroes aren't interesting because there's nothing that can truly beat them. Heck, even if they “die,” they're not really gone. And he doesn't like that.

The fanboy in me wants to scream out in protest, but I honestly think the guy has a point. Do I agree with said point? Maybe in the case of Batman V. Superman (which was abysmal and riddled with plot holes), but I think plenty of superhero films do a phenomenal job of making us care despite the fact that, yes, these larger-than-life beings are nearly impossible to kill.

I get where Campbell is coming from. I do. But he's talking about Batman V. Superman like it's every superhero film. Marvel consistently does a great job with its heroes and its stories, and DC has a handful of winners, too (Wonder Woman being my favorite by far). You've got to examine these movies individually.

You can catch Bruce Campbell in Ash Vs. the Evil Dead, which has since been cancelled (only three seasons in, too) but can still be found on Netflix, Amazon, and home video.

The current Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home, pits ol’ web-head against the menacing Mysterio, aka Quentin Beck. He’s played by Jake Gyllenhaal in the Jon Watts-directed sequel. But a persistent rumor has circulated around the World Wide Web that Bruce Campbell almost played Mysterio in a big-screen Spider-Man sequel for Sam Raimi.

Raimi had major plans for Spider-Man 4 – he directed the first three Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire in the lead role – and storyboards have shown that the director wanted Mysterio and The Vulture to be his villains. That much has been confirmed over the years, though when we had the chance to ask Campbell if he actually was set to play Mysterio for his old friend Raimi, he cut that off at the pass, explaining to CinemaBlend:

Well, there goes that idea.

Obviously, Bruce Campbell has been a major component to the three existing Spider-Man movies, playing: the ring announcer who gives Peter Parker (Maguire) his name; the usher who prevents Peter from getting into Mary Jane Watson’s play, because he arrives too late, and; a French matire’d who gives Peter proposal advice.

The chatter had been that Sam Raimi wanted to give Bruce Campbell a meatier role in Spider-Man 4, though the part was never revealed. In talking to Campbell, he made it crystal clear that the part was never Mysterio, and he didn’t seem to know who he would have played if Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man came to pass.

It didn’t. Fans were frustrated by Spider-Man 3, and the way that Raimi botched Venom and Sandman. And Sony decided that they needed to go in a new direction. That led to Marc Webb crafting two Amazing Spider-Man movies. And those led to Sony lending a new Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he fought against Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. It looked like this:

Bruce Campbell isn’t Mysterio, but he IS the host of the Travel Channel’s renovation of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, which is giving a larger platform to unique and magnificent individuals. Here he is promoting that new show, as well as talking the Mysterio that never was.

If you want to see a real Mysterio, head to theaters and check out Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Spanning across decades, various platforms, and at least two different universes of continuity, the Evil Dead franchise is still well beloved by the fandom that made it popular in the ‘80s, and kept it alive into the modern day.

Series’ creator Sam Raimi, knows this fact extremely well. And just like those fans that helped rocket his career into horror genre history, he too would like to see a sequel in some shape or form. Raimi revealed this intention, and the talks he’s currently having, below:

Sam Raimi is certainly busy at the moment, what with his producer duties on Crawl bringing him into the spotlight to discuss this current film. That almost seems like an open invitation to discuss the man’s legacy horror title, which not only gave his career a boost, but also saw Bruce Campbell come into prominence as a genre favorite actor.

It certainly isn’t the first time that the Evil Dead series has been talked about in terms of how it would continue in a more modern context. Recent experiences certainly support Raimi’s ruling out TV as a possible avenue, as the Starz show Ash vs. The Evil Dead has already worn that path down with its cancellation after three seasons.

Another interesting possibility that was brought up during his interview with Bloody-Disgusting is the fact that Sam Raimi mentioned Bruce Campbell as an involved party in these Evil Dead talks, and that he’s pretty much prepared for any contingency that could be offered. Which leads to those various options that were mentioned at this particular Crawl junket.

Those two different paths are pretty obvious, with Raimi also interested in trying to bring back director Fede Alvarez into the realm of the Evil Dead saga. With his 2013 legacyquel giving the franchise a much needed shot to the arm, there’s plenty of room to return to Jane Levy’s Mia, after the events of her run in with the Deadites. The director, who also saw success working with Levy in Don’t Breathe, certainly isn’t against jumping back in, as he’s said in the past.

Indeed, Fede Alvarez’s series would be a fantastic world to follow up on, but even Sam Raimi himself admits that the director’s career has taken off to such heights that it might not be easy. With Don’t Breathe 2 still on Fede Alvarez’s plate, and his first taste of tentpole franchise work coming in last year’s The Girl In The Spider’s Web, there’s certainly a demand for the man’s work. Which allows the second possibility to emerge, in which Bruce Campbell somehow rescinds his retirement notice, and comes back to the role of Ash once again.

That’s a scenario that’s a bit wishy, washy, despite the newer Evil Dead film closing on a post-credits stinger that would saw Bruce Campbell’s Ash returning to say “Groovy” to the delight of fans far and wide. The cancellation of Ash vs. The Evil Dead seemed to break his heart in such a way that unless it was in a much less intensive context, like say a video game DLC character, he wouldn’t want to return to Ash any time soon.

Yet Bruce Campbell’s friendship with Sam Raimi seems strong enough that, should the right idea come along, he’d probably want to jump in and do justice to the character he originated in 1981’s The Evil Dead. Again, Bruce Campbell has made remarks that sound like he’d easily hand the role over to another actor, but when your good friend is trying to get the band back together for another ride into the sunset, it’s kind of hard not to at least hear them out.

Should either the Campbell or the Alvarez options not work out, there seems to be a third, more secretive option to resurrect the Evil Dead franchise. No details were given on what that would entail, however Sam Raimi did drop this final juicy tidbit as a closer:

Six months would mean that by time 2020 is ready to get rolling into a new year, we might just have a new evil to look forward to in the future of the Evil Dead universe; no matter who it sees as its lead. With Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert this excited to get things off the ground, it sounds like nothing in Heaven, Hell, or Earth will be able to stop them. Though Hollywood may have something to say about that, so we’ll keep our ears open for any further developments.

Crawl is in theaters now, with 2013’s Evil Dead currently on all home video platforms.

This poll is no longer available.

Heroes may come and go, but only the most resilient find their way back to the danger. Just ask Bruce Campbell, as his most famous role as the Evil Dead franchise’s Ash Williams is one that’s waxed and waned like our fickle moon. And just when everyone thought he was gone for good, Ash is about to saddle up for action yet again. Only this time, it’s going to be in another realm he’s not unfamiliar with: the world of video games.

Despite Campbell, for the most part, retiring the role of Evil Dead’s Ash Williams after the cancelation of Ash vs. Evil Dead, it looks like he’ll be strapping on the chainsaw again for the multi-platform game, Dead By Daylight. Currently available on PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One, the concept of the game is very much an Evil Dead inspired affair.

With the objective of the game being that the four survivors in play must repair the required number of emergency generators that will allow for their escape, it’s already terra firma for the man who survived three films, three seasons of his own TV show, and various comic book appearances. The similarities only increase in Dead By Daylight’s gameplay when it’s hindered by the fact that there’s one player hunting those survivors as the killer, whose objective is to clear the board in vicious, bloody fashion. And, you’ll get to play through it all, with the likeness and vocal stylings of Bruce Campbell being fully integrated into the game’s killer engine.

So, yeah, adding Ash Williams as a playable survivor is as good of an idea as when a previous Dead By Dayilght update brought fellow horror legend Laurie Strode to the game. If you’re one of those types that’s liable to want to cross over famous franchises such as Halloween and Evil Dead, this news from Variety just gave you further incentive to go out and buy yourself a copy. Unless you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, in which case you’ll have to wait until this fall. Still, it’s pretty exciting news.

Though he’s had plenty of video game adventures of his own on various console generations, seeing Ash Williams heading to Dead By Daylight so soon after being told we would probably never see or hear from him again has us hopeful. Should this recent offering in a long line of famous franchise themed DLC sell like hotcakes, maybe there’s a possibility that Bruce Campbell could snag an Evil Dead themed game franchise as previously promised; which opens up a pathway for him to rope dear friend and series creator Sam Raimi back in to tell more stories in that particular sandbox. It’s far from a given, but fans can dream, can’t they?

If you’re looking to try out Dead By Daylight’s latest, boomstick toting survivor, and just happen to be at the PAX East convention this weekend, stop by their booth and hail to the king! Otherwise, the DLC featuring Ash Williams will be available on April 2nd.

Bruce Campbell recently announced he's done playing the iconic role of Ash Williams, so what does that mean for the future of the Evil Dead franchise? Hopefully, not much, at least if Campbell gets his way. The actor knows that franchise reboots are all the rage these days, and he'd be totally fine with seeing a younger actor take over the role of Ash. According to Campbell...

While not every actor gets excited when it turns out a character they once played is being recast, rebooted, or whatever, Bruce Campbell tells Entertainment Weekly that he has no problem if that happens to Ash. Campbell has been attached to the role for decades. Even during the period between the third film and the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead where not much happened, the actor was still synonymous with the role, but he's clearly done with it now and if he's not using it, there's no reason somebody else can't.

In fact, not only is Bruce Campbell ok with somebody else taking over the Evil Dead universe, he's strongly in favor of the idea. He sees the potential of multiple new Evil Dead projects, including not just something new for Ash, but something more from the Ash-less Evil Dead remake from back in 2013.

It's a pretty safe bet that, one way or another the Evil Dead franchise will continue. It's a popular name with a lot of fans and those brands don't just disappear off the face of the earth. The only real questions are how long will it remain dormant and what form will it take when it comes back? The Evil Dead remake went with a somewhat different plan a couple years back by taking the basic premise of the original Sam Raimi horror movie and filling it with a new cast of characters. This was likely done, at least in part, to avoid having to recast Ash, especially when fans were still hoping to see Bruce Campbell in the role again. Now the handcuffs are off and recasting Ash Williams could very well happen.

Could we see a sequel to the remake that introduces Ash, or another reboot entirely? The former could theoretically happen quickly if somebody was so inclined, while the latter would probably need to wait to get some space between it and the 2013 remake. Either way, it sounds like it all has Bruce Campbell's blessing.

Should a younger act get cast as the new Ash Williams? Let us know what you think in the poll below.

This poll is no longer available.

Bruce Campbell has played many great roles in his career, but he'll forever be linked with the Evil Dead series. Campbell played Ashley Williams in three movies and a TV series that only recently ended, so the actor has been part of the franchise for his entire career. That sort of history likely creates a lot of memorable moments, but Campbell says that his best memory of being part of Evil Dead came way back at the beginning, when the first film actually made it to theaters, including the one where he grew up watching movies. According to Campbell...

The original The Evil Dead back in 1981 wasn't exactly a blockbuster. It was a horror movie made on the cheap by a bunch of friends, including Bruce Campbell and his buddy Sam Raimi who directed the film. It wasn't a movie that was going to fill a movie theater, but for Bruce Campbell, the fact that it was on the screen at all was the win. He sat in the same theater as a kid and watched movies and wondered what it might be like to be up there on that screen (because we've all wondered that) and then, a decade later, he's experiencing exactly that as he sits in the same seat. It's no wonder no experience has topped that one. How could it?

While nobody expected The Evil Dead to become a franchise, the original film became a cult classic which spawned a pair of sequels. The trilogy continued to be popular for years until it eventually spawned the series Ash vs. Evil Dead, which was just recently canceled. The actor also told Comicbook.com that he's happy he was able to take a more recent shot at playing Ash, as he always thought it was strange that he was forever associated with his very first film role.

Bruce Campbell isn't entirely done with the Evil Dead quite yet, as it was recently announced he would be lending his voice to an upcoming video game. Whether or not Bruce Campbell ever plays Ash again in the flesh isn't all that important to him, it's all gravy from here.