While the Scream series usually introduces new characters as each sequel’s villains, a handful of existing series stars would be perfect as Scream 7’s Ghostface. 1996’s Scream redefined the rules of the slasher sub-genre. Before Scream, many of the most successful slasher franchises had instantly recognizable villains like Halloween’s Michael Myers, Nightmare On Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger, and Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees. However, Scream fused the slasher formula with tropes borrowed from the whodunit murder mystery. In an approach borrowed from the original Friday the 13th, director Wes Craven’s Scream forced viewers to work out the identity of the movie’s mysterious murderer.

The Scream sequels continued in this vein, with each movie introducing a slew of new characters who could be the man (or woman) behind the mask. 2023’s successful sequel Scream VI left a lot of questions unanswered as the movie set up a bunch of red herrings that turned out to be elaborate misdirections. Since nothing is ever quite as it seems in the world of Scream, these set-ups may still pay off in the sequel Scream 7. Scream 7’s killer could be a new character (or multiple new characters), but there are also plenty of surviving suspects left over from earlier franchise outings.

6 Sidney Prescott

Scream VI didn’t include Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, thanks to the actor’s salary negotiations breaking down during production. This was a shame, but the financial and critical success of Scream VI means that the creators of the franchise have no excuse not to bring back Sidney in Scream 7. One of the wildest Scream VI fan theories claimed Sidney herself could be Ghostface in the sequel, but this didn’t come to as Campbell’s character didn’t appear in the movie. Obviously, bringing back Sid and making her Scream 7’s killer would devastate fans, but that is not necessarily a bad thing in a brutal slasher series.

5 Sam Carpenter

Melissa Barrera’s likable Sam is the heroine of Scream V and Scream VI, so Scream 7 turning her into a killer would be almost as controversial as Sidney being the sequel's villain. However, both Scream V and Scream VI already hinted that Sam has a sadistic edge to her. Since she turned out not to be the killer in either of those franchise outings, it could be a solid surprise to reveal that Sam is the villain this time around in Scream 7. Not only that, but the fact that Jenna Ortega has become an A-list star could result in Sam’s sister Tara replacing Sam if the heroine was killed off.

Scream 7 could also bring back Sam and Tara’s mother, but revealing that she is the killer might be a bridge too far. Scream 2 attempted something similar to this when Billy Loomis’s mother turned out to be the villain in the sequel, and even a spirited, campy turn from Laurie Metcalf couldn’t salvage this unlikely twist. ittedly, it would be risky to make Sam a villain after both Scream V and Scream VI centered her as their heroine. However, like Sidney becoming a villain in Scream 7, this twist would shock longtime viewers and new fans alike and would prove that the sequel wasn’t pulling any punches.

4 Danny Brackett

Sam’s Scream VI boyfriend, Danny Brackett, is almost too perfect, especially since he turned out to be completely innocent in his first movie appearance. As such, it would make sense for Scream 7 to reveal that he isn’t so harmless after all. Danny would be suspect number one in Scream 7 if he were still Sam’s romantic partner by the time the movie took place, but the sequel could still throw viewers off the scent. Much like Scream VI used Sam’s visions of Billy Loomis to make her seem like the killer, Scream 7 could set up one of the Meeks-Martin twins as a diversion from Danny.

3 Mark Kincaid

Sidney’s love interest Mark Kincaid hasn’t been seen since Scream 3, where Patrick Dempsey’s character seemed like a suspect until the movie’s atypically weak twist ending. However, Scream V revealed that he had been married to Sidney for years, and the pair have children together. While Sidney wasn’t involved in Scream VI’s killings, if she returns for Scream 7, the franchise could make things very personal for her. If the Scream series were to bring back Scream 3’s Mark Kincaid only to reveal that he is a killer, this mean-spirited twist would tragically subvert Sidney’s seemingly happy ending and make the recent sequels feel darker in retrospect.

2 Martha Meeks

First introduced in Scream 3, Randy’s sister Martha was last seen in Scream V. Her status as a background character, as well as her motivation in avenging Randy, make her a great surprise killer for Scream 7. Meanwhile, her close personal connection to the Meeks-Martin twins would make this a sad twist that ties into the franchise’s themes of family secrets. Throughout the Scream movies, the family has been depicted as a site of hidden violence. Martha’s harmless demeanor would make it all the more shocking if she was the one to keep this theme alive, particularly when Randy, Chad, and Mindy are all fan-favorite ing characters.

1 Stu Macher

Scream VI confirmed that Scream villain Stu Macher could still be alive, so Stu’s return would be the perfect Scream 7 twist. While Scream VI’s rumored Stu Macher return didn’t materialize, this only makes it more likely that the villain could make a comeback in the next sequel. If Stu turns out to be alive, his return will allow Sidney’s journey to come full circle. Instead of Scream V’s face-off against Richie and Amber acting as Sidney’s final stand, Scream 7’s showdown between one of the original movie's killers and Campbell’s heroine could be a much more fitting send-off for the franchise’s heroine.

With Matthew Lillard starring in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, it is clear that the actor is still open to working on horror movies. Meanwhile, Campbell has not ruled out the possibility of returning for a Scream sequel provided the franchise’s producers meet her salary demands. As such, Scream 7 could provide a perfect coda for the Scream series by reuniting two stars of the original movie for one last long-awaited face-off.