Summary

• Melissa Barrera's exit from Scream 7 means that the movie will have to find a way to explain Sam's absence and continue the stories of the other characters without their link to the original Wes Craven movies.
• Scream 7 could address Sam's absence by having her go into hiding for her safety, similar to what happened with Sidney in Scream 6. However, it wouldn't make much sense for Sam to leave her sister, Tara.
• Barrera's exit could potentially pave the way for Neve Campbell's return, bringing a nostalgic element to the closing chapter of the Scream reboot trilogy with the original Final Girl back in the picture.

The The Scream saga was brought back to life in 2022 with a fifth movie simply titled Scream, which reunited viewers with the three survivors of the past Ghostface murders – Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley – and introduced a new generation of characters.

Scream 2022 established two new Final Girls, sisters Melissa Barrera has been fired from Scream 7.

Without Sam, Scream 7 Can't Have A Satisfying Conclusion To The Modern Trilogy

Sam Carpenter is not just one of the Final Girls of the Scream reboot trilogy, but she’s also the connective tissue between the two generations of characters. Sam was revealed in Scream 2022 to be Billy Loomis’ daughter, whom he had with Christina Carpenter when they were in high school. Sam grew up with her mother and the unnamed Mr. Carpenter, who believed Sam was his daughter, and years later, they had Tara. When Sam found out about her real father, Mr. Carpenter abandoned Christina and the girls, and after some personal struggles, Sam moved to California before being pulled back to Woodsboro during the 2022 murders.

Her link to Billy Loomis made her the target of Richie and Amber, who looked to frame her as the killer due to her being related to Billy, and this led to her being targeted again in Scream 6 in revenge for killing Richie. Scream 6 ended on a minor cliffhanger with Sam hiding Billy’s Ghostface mask in her jacket but deciding to drop it before reing Tara and Danny, hinting at Sam possibly dealing with a darker side in Scream 7. Sam’s story in the Scream reboot trilogy will now be incomplete with Barrera’s exit, and no matter how the movie addresses Sam’s absence, it won’t be able to give a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy without her.

What Melissa Barrera's Exit Means For Scream 7

Melissa Barrera’s exit means that Scream 7 will have to find a way to explain Sam’s absence and continue the stories of the rest of the characters, now without their only link to the Wes Craven movies. Although it’s not an ideal scenario for Scream 7 to not have one of its Final Girls back, there are ways to address Sam’s absence. Scream 7 could follow Scream 6’s steps and explain that Sam has now gone into hiding (possibly with Danny, her boyfriend at the end of Scream 6) for her safety, similarly to what Scream 6 did with Sidney, though it wouldn’t make much sense for Sam to leave Tara.

On the other hand, Barrera’s exit could make way for Neve Campbell’s return, which would add a layer of nostalgia to the closing chapter of the Scream reboot trilogy as it would have its original Final Girl back. Melissa Barrera’s exit is a major shake-up for Scream 7 as it will have to change its story and plans for its characters, as it won’t just affect Sam’s story (leaving it inconclusive), but also Tara’s and thus will impact the stories of the rest of the characters.