Halloween Ends will close the Halloween reboot trilogy, and even though Dr. Loomis passed away years ago, he could return in this final chapter for Michael Myers’ long-awaited death. The horror genre has seen a variety of franchises, and one of the most popular and beloved ones is that of Halloween. It all began in 1978 with John Carpenter’s Halloween, which even though wasn’t well-received during its initial release, with time it has become one of the most influential horror movies ever, and it made way for a franchise that has gone through different retcons.
Halloween introduced viewers to Michael Myers, who on Halloween night 1963, when he was six years old, murdered his older sister, Judith. Michael was then sent to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and didn’t say a word again, becoming the subject of many studies as well as the patient of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence). Fifteen years later, on October 30, 1978, Michael escaped and returned to his hometown Haddonfield, Illinois, where he began to stalk Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, and Laurie became his main target for most of the franchise. Halloween spawned a franchise with 13 movies (including Rob Zombie’s remakes and the upcoming Halloween Ends), and it’s now going through a reboot with a new trilogy, which brought Laurie back and has managed to keep Loomis as part of the story.
Dr. Loomis has been a key character throughout the whole Halloween franchise and is the one character who has been present, one way or another, in every retcon (as Laurie was left aside at one point and her daughter, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), became the new protagonist), and he hasn’t been forgotten in the reboot trilogy even though Donald Pleasence passed away in 1995. Thanks to his recent inclusion in Halloween Kills, it’s now more likely he will also appear in Halloween Ends, more so if Michael Myers really dies in this final movie.
What Happened To Dr. Loomis In The Halloween Reboot Timeline
As mentioned above, Dr. Loomis has been present in different ways throughout the whole Halloween franchise, going from concerned psychologist of one of the most dangerous serial killers in the horror genre to a man obsessed with stopping what he called the incarnation of evil. In the first Halloween timeline, Loomis continued his quest to kill Michael Myers when he targeted his niece, Jamie Lloyd, and in his final appearance in the Halloween franchise, he either became the new leader of the Cult of Thorn or was killed by Michael Myers, depending on which version of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers you watch. In the Halloween H20 timeline, it was explained that, following the fire at the end of Halloween II, he lived under the care of Marion Chambers at his house, where he eventually passed away before the events of H20.
Now, as the Halloween reboot trilogy is a direct continuation of Carpenter’s original movie and ignores every movie that came after it, Loomis’ story had to go through some changes. David Gordon Green’s Halloween included a voice cameo by Loomis (played this time by Colin Mahan) as podcasters Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines (Rhian Rees) went through official documents about Michael’s case. Aaron and Dana listened to tapes in which Loomis advocated for Michael’s execution and immediate cremation, adding that he wanted to witness his former patient’s death to make sure he was really dead and destroyed, reassuring his opinion that Michael Myers is the incarnation of evil. Halloween Kills approached Loomis’ presence differently and more directly by including flashbacks to Halloween night 1978, in which Loomis came across a young officer Hawkins (Thomas Mann) at the Myers House, where Michael was arrested. Loomis tried to shoot Michael in the head but was stopped by Hawkins, something that the latter regretted many years later.
Theory: How Dr. Loomis Returns In Halloween Ends
Many fans feel Loomis’ return in Halloween Kills was a mistake as it took the attention away from the events on the “present-day” and the flashbacks didn’t really add much to the story, except for showing how Michael Myers was arrested after Loomis shot him multiple times and he fell off a balcony. Halloween Kills’ Loomis’ return fell short, but following the line of Loomis always being present in the Halloween movies, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was brought back again in Halloween Ends, though not as most might think. There’s no believable way in which Loomis can be brought back to the present timeline as it’s confirmed that he died at some point before Michael’s escape in 2018, but Halloween Ends could add more to the backstory of Michael and Loomis in this timeline by showing what happened during the trials that were briefly shown through courtroom sketches in Halloween 2018. What’s truly important about that specific part of their story is Loomis’ insistence on keeping Michael locked up and his execution, as well as him wanting to be present to make sure he’s really gone. If Michael Myers is to finally die in Halloween Ends, it would make sense to bring Dr. Loomis back as his wish would finally be fulfilled, and this can be done through flashbacks.
Why Dr. Loomis Needs To Appear In Halloween Ends For Michael's Death
As mentioned above, Halloween Kills took a step in a different direction by bringing Loomis back in flashbacks rather than in voice cameos and sketches, and even though it didn’t have the impact the writers were surely hoping, it would now be somewhat expected that Loomis returns in Halloween Ends. The Halloween reboots have relied heavily on nostalgia, especially Halloween Kills, and even though this second entry wasn’t the best, it does set a new bar for Halloween Ends, to the point where, even if it isn’t essential, not having Loomis appear would be disappointing – and even more so when taking into account how important he has been in Michael Myers’ arc(s) and the Halloween saga in general. In addition to that, Loomis’ insistence on killing Michael (in 1978 and his statements in court) almost make it a necessity that he shows up in Halloween Ends if this finally is the end of Michael Myers and his reign of terror over Haddonfield.
The history of Dr. Loomis in the Halloween franchise has been a rollercoaster, and while his story hasn’t always been handled correctly, it’s only fair that he makes one final appearance in Halloween Ends after Halloween Kills brought him back, and if it’s related to Michael’s death, it would bring his arc in the reboot trilogy to a very satisfying ending.
