Scream 7 Needs to Answer This Major Question

Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett did a phenomenal job breathing energetic new life (and financial viability) into the Scream franchise, but 2026’s Scream 7 nonetheless looks to be going in a different direction. Not fully different, but different. One of the two men responsible for birthing the franchise, Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson, is directing the film (only his second directed project after 1999’s Teaching Mrs. Tingle), which is all set to be led by franchise mainstays Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. But what about Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega?

In August 2023, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett (AKA Radio Silence) opted not to return for a seventh installment. Then, three months later, Barrera was controversially fired after her pro-Palestine comments on social media. Shortly after that, Ortega departed by her own volition, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with the Netflix megahit Wednesday‘s second season. Despite theories online about the “real” reasons the star may have left, Barrera and Ortega’s Sam and Tara Carpenter, respectively, will not be in Williamson’s film. But to be wholly successful, Scream 7 needs to address the elephant in the room.

Where Did Scream VI Leave Sam and Tara Carpenter?

It would be incredibly jarring for the primary characters of the previous two installments in a row to simply receive no mention of any kind in the film that follows. This would be an especially glaring oversight given two characters who joined the lore alongside them will be in Scream 7. It wouldn’t be the first time a Scream film explained away a major character’s absence with a simple line of dialogue. Specifically, how Campbell’s absence was explained in Scream VI.

And, as long as Scream 7 does give them a shout-out, it should be fine. If anything, Scream VI gave Sam and Tara a perfectly organic send-off. Sam learned to put her bloodthirsty heritage in the rearview mirror and move forward (hence her dropping the Ghostface mask on the street) and Tara found herself possessing greater agency and a sharper survivor’s edge. Perhaps it’s with Tara that Scream 7 has the potential in explaining away the sisters’ absence. One of the legacy characters returning to the franchise is Mason Gooding’s Chad Meeks-Martin, who by the end of Scream VI had a budding relationship with Tara. Even if they’re not together when the events of the seventh film transpire, he’ll likely at least know what she and her sister are up to.

Who Is Coming Back for Scream 7?

[RELATED: This Scream 7 Fan Theory May Reveal Why All These Dead Characters Are Back]

Leading the charge in Scream 7 of course is Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, who sat out Scream VI due to a contract dispute. This time audiences will also be able to spend time with her family, as Isabel May (1883) has been cast as her daughter while Joel McHale is playing her husband, Mark. Of note, he’s not the Mark of Scream 3, surprising many fans who expected Patrick Dempsey to reprise his role as well.

That said, there will be a presence from Scream 3 in the cast, as that film’s killer, Scott Foley, will be appearing. The question is, will he be playing Roman Bridger again? The same question applies to the original Scream‘s Matthew Lillard who is also confirmed to apepar.

When it comes to legacy characters, Campbell, Cox, Gooding, Lillard, and Foley aren’t alone, as Jasmin Savoy Brown will once again be filling the Randy role as Chad’s sister, Mindy Meeks-Martin. Speaking of the Randy role, it sadly seems as though Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed will not be featured. But there are quite a few exciting newcomers, with big names such as Ethan Embry (Sweet Home Alabama), Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Celeste O’Connor (Madame Web), Mark Consuelos (Riverdale), and Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) all making their Scream movie debuts in unspecified roles.

In short, Scream 7 is shaping up quite curiously. It’s a combination of old and new, even more so than in Scream (2022). It’s unfortunate that Barrera and Ortega won’t be around, but Williamson’s return to the franchise is an exciting prospect. If this is indeed the final film of the franchise, which doesn’t seem entirely unlikely given how it’s a culmination of all that came before, it could certainly be a worthy way to go out. It just needs to make sure that it doesn’t leave too many gaps in the status of its fan-favorite characters.