Bruce Campbell explains why a crossover between horror icons Freddy, Jason, and Ash (his character from Evil Dead) wouldn't work. Back in 2003, the slasher crossover Freddy vs Jason finally materialised after being in a limbo for decades, becoming a box offices success (though not doing so well with critics and fans) and prompting rumours about a sequel that would include none other than Evil Dead’s Ash Williams. This idea, however, is still trapped in development hell and there are no signs of it ever happening.
Still, horror fans got to see Krueger, Voorhees, and Williams together in a six-issue comic book limited series released in 2007 by Wildstorm and Dynamite Entertainment, titled Freddy vs Jason vs Ash. Unfortunately for those who would like to see these three characters in an epic battle on the big screen, it all points at it never happening, with Bruce Campbell explaining it’s all about creative conflicts – mainly, wanting Ash to kill Freddy and Jason.
During a roundtable interview with Bruce Campbell at New York Comic Con, the Ash vs Evil Dead star explained why this crossover film wouldn’t work, stating both creative and monetary reasons. Campbell has previously spoken about the creative conflicts behind the crossover, only this time he added the idea of Ash killing both Krueger and Voorhees.
“We had a five minute conversation with New Line Cinema about Ash vs. Jason vs. Freddy. They approached us. So they go, ‘What do you think about that?’ And we were like, ‘Great, Ash can kill ‘em both.’ There was a long pause, ‘Well actually that’s not something we can entertain.’ And we couldn’t control any other character, only control Ash - what these guys said, or what they did and you can’t kill either one. So right from the start, it’s creatively bankrupt. Economically, now you’re splitting the pot with two other partners - nah. We’re good. So that’s why - fans may not realize why things don’t happen.”
The “who would win between Freddy and Jason” debate can go on for years – and even though Freddy Vs Jason offered an idea of who could win, the ending is open to interpretation and didn’t not leave fans satisfied. Adding Ash to the mix will be an interesting turn as they all have their pros and cons and the odds are pretty much even. Freddy Krueger, while in the world of dreams, is an unstoppable force that can take many shapes, though when pulled into the real world, he has human vulnerabilities and mostly relies on his bladed glove.
Jason Voorhees, whose signature weapon is a machete, has superhuman strength and is nearly invulnerable, having survived fatal injuries but still able to feel pain – though he has really high tolerance to it. Ash Williams, unlike his opponents, is a human with fair knowledge on hand-to-hand combat whose main strengths are his use of weapons and his ingenuity: although he is constantly the one causing the conflicts he is involved in, he always manages to succeed. His main weapons are the “Boomstick”, a sawed-off double-barreled 12 gauge Remington Arms shotgun, and the chainsaw adapted to replace his right hand.
A Freddy vs Jason vs Ash crossover might never happen, hence the question of who would win between these three characters will continue raising heated debates between horror fans. While it’s interesting and fun to imagine Ash killing Jason and Freddy, what would be more interesting to watch would be the methods he would use to do such a thing and the obstacles he would bring to himself while doing so.