Michael Myers famously didn't return as the villain of Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, but the iconic slasher does still make a small appearance. When it comes to the world of horror movies, the word Halloween immediately conjures up one image: Michael Myers. One of the genre's most recognized icons, Michael has been claiming victims in some form since 1978, give or take a few year hiatus here and there. There's just something about Michael Myers that never ceases to draw horror fans back to the theater, as evidenced by the success of 2018's Halloween reboot.

However, what many fans might not realize is that Michael Myers was never meant to be a franchise cornerstone. When crafting Halloween, co-writer and director John Carpenter wasn't necessarily planning on ever making a sequel, and only did so when Halloween became so successful that the prospect of a follow-up became too much to ignore. Carpenter returned to co-write and produce 1981's Halloween 2, and did so with every intention of putting Michael Myers to rest for good.

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As fans will recall, Halloween 2 ends with both Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis seemingly burned to a crisp courtesy of a large explosion within Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. That ending up being awkwardly retconned so that both could return in 1988's Halloween 4, but before then, Carpenter and producing partner Debra Hill fully planned on transforming Halloween into an anthology franchise. This led to Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, a rather odd but charming film that was hated at the time of release, but has gained a following since. While Michael Myers didn't return to slash in Halloween 3, he did at least pop up to say hi to the audience.

Michael Myers Makes a Quick Appearance in Halloween 3

Tom Atkins in Halloween 3

Halloween 3's protagonist is one Dr. Dan Challis, played by genre favorite Tom Atkins. Dan ends up uncovering an insidious conspiracy to kill thousands of children on Halloween night, orchestrated by an evil mask company. Before all that though, in the first act of the film, Challis is sitting at a bar having drinks. This is where Michael Myers makes an unlikely appearance.

Sadly, Michael doesn't stroll in and start knocking back cold ones, as funny as that would be. Instead, an advertisement for the original Halloween film can be seen playing briefly on the bar's TV. Outside of being an amusing Easter egg, this inclusion also raises some interesting questions. Clearly, Halloween and Halloween 2 are merely fictional films in the world of Halloween 3. Since all future Halloween films ignored Halloween 3, one surmises that, assuming history didn't change wildly after the Silver Shamrock murder plan partially succeeded, all subsequent Halloween films also exist in Halloween 3's universe. If that's the case, Dan Challis may eventually have found himself yelling "turn it off, stop it!" at a TV playing Halloween: Resurrection. Happy happy Halloween indeed.

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