Bruce Campbell is “Done” With Franchise if ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ Ends

Nearly four decades after The Evil Dead hit theaters, horror fans still can’t get enough of Ash Williams and his bouts with Deadites. Campbell currently stars as Ash in Season 3 of Ash vs. Evil Dead, but with the future of the series currently unknown, the actor sounds like he’s ready to retire from the role if there’s not a Season 4.

“No, no, no. Because if they cancel it, I think Ash is done,” Campbell revealed at the Irish Film Institute when asked if he’d star in another Evil Dead film. “I have lavender on my property. I’m going to smoke weed and hang out.”

The status of the Evil Dead franchise has had many stops and starts over the years, with the franchise exploring various mediums to deliver fans the horror and humor of the original trilogy.

In 2013, the theatrically-released Evil Dead was a remake of the original concept, despite not featuring any of the characters from the original series of films. While some fans praised the use of gruesome special effects in the film to capture the tone of the original movies, the film was criticized by others for its lack of characters that were nearly as entertaining as Campbell’s Ash. The underwhelming critical and financial reception of the film seems to have dashed hopes for a sequel.

Campbell returned to the iconic role for the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead, which serves as a continuation of the original series of films. Now in its third season, the series is a hit with fans but its ratings aren’t necessarily as high as the creators had hoped, resulting in a broadcast schedule shift in hopes of tapping into a different demographic.

Earlier this year, Campbell teased that if the series doesn’t get renewed, a new movie could still be in the works.

“We’re going to see what the TV gods have in store for us. We’re ready either way,” Campbell shared with Entertainment Weekly. “If they take us off the air, we can think about another movie. And if they don’t, we can just keep plugging away.”

Based on his most recent comments, it’s unclear if he’s now changed his mind about his involvement with a film or if he means he’d hand the franchise off to someone else while still maintaining behind-the-scenes involvement.

Ash vs. Evil Dead airs on Starz on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET.

Do you think you can have successful Evil Dead stories without Ash? Let us know in the comments!

[H/T Twitter, davemultimedia]