Summary

• Michael Myers was originally called "The Shape" in the first Halloween film, a nickname used by John Carpenter in the script to describe his masked character hiding in the shadows.
• The term "The Shape" has an interesting historical connection to the Salem Witch Trials, where it was used to describe accused specters or spirits, fitting Michael Myers' actions as a symbol of pure evil.
• The recent Halloween movies, including Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, continue to credit Michael Myers as "The Shape" to emphasize the thematic idea that evil will always take on different forms and continue to haunt humanity.

Halloween’s villain Michael Myers has become a horror icon and a favorite among horror fans, and while many are aware that Michael Myers was originally named The Shape, they might not know why. The Halloween franchise has seen many ups and downs with multiple retcons, remakes and reboots of the series. Though not all Halloween films have been successful, they have certainly helped maintain the popularity and reputation of Michael Myers, who is now part of pop culture, being referred to and parodied on multiple occasions in different films and TV shows from all genres.

Michael Myers was originally referred to by the nickname “The Shape”, which certainly gives a mysterious and dangerous vibe. However, in other Halloween movies, such as Halloween 4 and Halloween 5, he's credited as Michael Myers. A return to crediting the actor behind Michael Myers as playing The Shape was made in the latest installments like Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. However, viewers new to the franchise have pointed out the apparent discrepancy when trying to spy who the actor behind the mask was in the David Gordon Green Halloween movies was in the credits. The history behind The Shape Halloween credit and its return in the new Halloween trilogy goes back to the franchise's beginning.

Halloween: Why Michael Myers Was Called The Shape In The First Film

Michael Myers is an iconic horror villain, one whose face and name are synonymous with the slasher genre. Michael Myers’ name is said many times through the first Halloween film, so it was never a secret who the killer was, but the end credits have him as “The Shape” instead of Michael Myers (except for the six and 23-year-old versions). Those wondering why is Michael Myers called The Shape need look no further than John Carpenter himself for the answer.

There’s actually a simple reason why Michael was credited as The Shape. It’s because that’s how John Carpenter referred to masked-up Michael Myers in the script. In fact, the nickname is first used by Carpenter when describing Michael's iconic mask. When watching the film and how Michael is presented in each one of his scenes, it makes sense he was called “The Shape”, as he was hiding in the shadows most of the time.

“The Shape” also has an interesting story that’s unrelated to Halloween, though it might have served as inspiration. This was a term used in the Salem Witch Trials back in the 1690s to describe specters or spirits accused of doing harm, which actually fits Michael Myers and his actions. Michael Myers is still called The Shape, but his real name has become a synonym of pure evil, no matter how many retcons Halloween goes through. However, the conceptual and thematic essence of The Shape identity is still present.

The Latest Halloween Movies Use The Shape Name Too

In 2018 the Halloween franchise was rebooted, with Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode. The new trilogy (Halloween, Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends) is another retcon, restarting the Halloween timeline after the events of Halloween 2 (as Halloween H20 did in 1998). What's worth noting is the fact that these latest films go back to crediting Michael Myers as The Shape. As well as being a nod to 1978's Halloween, there's a thematic reason too.

Halloween Ends sees the death of Michael Myers when Laurie bleeds him out through the neck and wrists, then feeds his body through a metal shredder. However, while this iteration of Michael Myers is gone, evil never dies, which is the point of Halloween Ends. As was hinted at multiple times in the trilogy, somebody else is always waiting to pick up the mask (both literally and metaphorically). It's in this way that the term The Shape is more thematic than anything else, as Myers represents the shape of evil.

For as long as humanity continues someone else will assume the shape of evil, the archetypal worst of humanity, and the legacy will continue. When considering Corey Cunningham's manslaughter in the beginning of Halloween Ends, Carpenter poses a basic thread for audiences to follow — that trauma caused by an evil action will infect a community. This is the message of the latest Halloween movies, and settles the question of why is Michael Myers called The Shape in the David Goren Green Halloween trilogy.

The Shape Name Adds To The Supernatural Aspect Of Michael Myers

The Shape Halloween credit adds another element to Michael Myers cementing the supernatural aspect that has always floated around the character. One of the defining qualities of Michael Myers is that, unlike fellow slasher icons Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, Michael is a flesh-and-blood human. However, he is also described as the embodiment of evil and his emotionless brutality makes him appear inhuman. At the end of the first Halloween, Laurie Strode asks Dr. Loomis if Michael is "the boogeyman" to which the doctor responds "As a matter of fact it was."

Crediting Michael as The Shape solidifies the supernatural aspect people associate with Michael. While the less popular sequels attempted to add some true supernatural elements in with the Cult of Thorn, Michael has always been more interesting when he is just a man fueled by his evil desires. Donning a mask and refusing to speak, the does take on the quality of a shape haunting Haddonfield throughout the decades.