The cast of Ash vs Evil Dead believe that franchise star Bruce Campbell would be on board for season 4 of the series. Containing the familiar blend of comedy and horror which made the Evil Dead films so popular, Ash vs Evil Dead was developed by the trio of Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy for the Starz network. Premiering in October 2015, the show takes place roughly three decades after the first three films in the Evil Dead franchise. Ash Williams (Campbell) begins the show working a regular job, ostensibly accomplishing little since he was last seen by audiences. However, Ash soon has to leave his unexciting daily life and embark on a familiar fight to save humankind.
Back in April 2018, it was announced that Ash vs Evil Dead would be coming to an end after three seasons. Part of the reason for the show’s cancellation came down to declining viewership, with ratings dropping from 437,000 same-day viewers in the first season to around 175,000 towards the end of the third installment. For his part, Campbell seemed ready to move on from the horror movie hero he’d made famous. Despite efforts from fans of the show to revive the series, which included petitions and an online push for a Netflix continuation, Campbell announced on social media that he had retired as Ash. Campbell’s cast mates have now gone on the record that they see things differently.
According to Comic Book, Dana DeLorenzo and Ray Santiago believe they could convince Campbell to resume his portrayal of Ash once more. DeLorenzo, who portrayed the character of Kelly Maxwell in Ash vs Evil Dead, participated in the Mainframe Comic Con 2.0. event and shared her thoughts. “I honestly feel like never say never. There have been shows where they get cancelled but then they’re picked up by another network. I know Bruce has said he is in retirement, but I feel like Ray and I could convince him,” the actress said. “I think enough time has passed by,” Santiago, who portrayed Pablo Simon Bolivar, added and elaborated further in his comments. “He just needs a good one or two years of just like chilling in the woods and not having the Boomstick in his hands and then he starts to crave it and it’ll come back.”
DeLorenzo also pointed to how the series likely would have received greater attention on a bigger platform, citing the fact that the interest in Ash vs Evil Dead increased when it arrived on Netflix. This is not uncommon. Divergent titles, from Breaking Bad to Community, have also received a bump after being made available on the streaming service. As of now, a new film is being developed in the Evil Dead franchise. Campbell will serve as a producer on the project, though he won’t be appearing in front of the camera.
Still, that doesn’t mean Ash vs Evil Dead can’t rise from the dead at some point in the future. In 2017, during a panel at a fan convention, Campbell expressed his belief that the Evil Dead universe could thrive best on the small screen. He’s obviously since changed his tune. And as for his reluctance to appear on-screen, it should be noted that other actors have returned to dormant franchises after seemingly walking away for good. Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween serves as an example, as does the recent news regarding Scream 5. A good script and a satisfying story arc may be just what Campbell needs to portray Ash Williams once more.
Source: Comic Book