The promise that John Kramer will continue to wreak havoc as the Jigsaw killer in Saw X became the best-reviewed Saw movie ever made and a hit at the box office, the franchise is bigger than ever. Set for a theatrical release on September 26, 2025, Saw 11 is the most highly anticipated Saw film in years, and that's a lot of pressure to live up to.
ending of Saw X seemed to suggest that the franchise would be repeating one of its biggest past mistakes in a future installment. Thankfully, that won’t be the case.
John Kramer Returning For Saw 11 Confirms He'll Still Be Active As Jigsaw
Tobin Bell Is Back, And So Is The Jigsaw Killer
Bell’s promise that Kramer is “not done” and that he’ll be back for Saw 11 suggests that he’ll continue to be the series’ primary Jigsaw killer. Saw 11 would’ve been made infinitely less exciting if someone else was going to take up the mantle of Jigsaw, with the actor retiring from the role. Making a Saw movie without Kramer is as futile as making a Halloween movie without Michael Myers or a Nightmare on Elm Street movie without Freddy Krueger. Saw just doesn’t work without him.
Saw Thankfully Isn't Replacing John Kramer With Mark Hoffman Again
Saw Has Never Worked Without John Kramer
In the past, the Saw franchise has experimented with replacing Kramer with different Jigsaw killers. They have been presented as his apprentices following in his footsteps, but they have never been anywhere near as compelling as Kramer. Bell’s mesmerizing, nuanced performance as Kramer has always elevated the Saw series above standard torture porn by giving him a human personality and somewhat understandable motivation. It has never worked with anyone else who tried to fill those huge shoes.
Saw 11's Release Delay Proves The Franchise Learned The Right Lessons After $111 Million Hit
After the critical and commercial success of 2023's Saw X, Lionsgate is taking its time releasing another entry in the long-running horror franchise.
The Saw franchise’s first attempt in earnest to replace Kramer was when the producers brought in former police officer Mark Hoffman to succeed him as the new Jigsaw killer. Sadly, that didn’t work at all, as Hoffman doesn’t have the moral complexity or dramatic nuance that made Kramer such a captivating villain. Hoffman’s appearance in the final scene of Saw X seemed to suggest he would be replacing Kramer once again in Saw 11, which was concerning. Thankfully, Bell’s comments have confirmed that won’t be the case.
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