Freddy Krueger returns once more to ‘stalk’ The Goldbergs in a brand new teaser clip. While A Nightmare On Elm Street creator Wes Craven envisioned Freddy Krueger as an old man, he found many older actors who read for the part came off as too cuddly and polite. Robert Englund won the role after impressing Craven in an audition, and the unique body language and twisted humor he brought to Freddy made him an instant horror icon.

Shockingly, the studio felt Englund wasn’t crucial to the success of A Nightmare On Elm Street and tried to replace him with a stuntman in sequel Freddy’s Revenge; once dailies proved disastrous he was quickly rehired. Englund played the role up until 2003’s long-awaited crossover Freddy Vs Jason, but while that movie was a huge success, a sequel featuring Ash from the Evil Dead failed to materialize. Englund later declared himself too old to play Freddy again, and Jackie Earle Haley took over the fedora for 2010’s critically panned remake.

Related: Robert Englund Returns As Freddy Krueger In The Goldbergs Photos

Despite previously ruling out a return, Englund was talked into making a guest appearance as Freddy Krueger in the sitcom The Goldbergs. Freddy appears in an episode called “Mister Knifey-Hands,” where Beverly dreams of Freddy after her son Adam watches A Nightmare On Elm Street. Now The Goldbergs Twitter account has released a quick clip from the episode, showing Freddy has lost none of his skill for making corny puns.

Englund's return as Freddy is well-timed, as Halloween is currently ripping up the box office. The success of the movie will almost certainly lead to a revival of many slasher icons from the 1980’s, with talk of a Friday The 13th reboot already warming up. The big question will be Englund’s willingness to return, however. The actor is currently 71 and had ruled out a return based on the physical demands of the part. That said, in a recent interview he softened his stance somewhat, stating he could have one more A Nightmare On Elm Street movie left in him.

Whereas Michael Myers and Jason have been played by multiple performers throughout their respective franchises, Englund is much harder to replace. His performance is so iconic and hard to replicate that a new actor already has a high bar to jump. Even a great actor like Jackie Earle Haley failed to make the grade. Once Freddy’s episode of The Goldbergs airs fan demand for another A Nightmare On Elm Street will only grow louder, so hopefully, the franchise owners will be making a call to Englund’s agent before even considering anybody else.

More: Robert Englund Game For Another A Nightmare On Elm Street Movie

Source: Twitter