While 71-year-old Robert Englund doesn't want to come back full-time as Freddy Krueger, there's a way A Nightmare on Elm Street could still keep his version canon. Many horror villains, especially those of the masked variety, have seen their original actors replaced over the years, sometimes multiple times. In some cases, this isn't an impossible hurdle to clear, if the character or premise surrounding it is interesting or the new performer is up to snuff. Freddy is different though, as Englund is absolutely synonymous with the Springwood Slasher.

Unlike many slasher killers, Freddy is blessed with a gift for gab, just as likely to throw a one-liner at his prey as he is to stab them with his knife glove. Those who've encountered Englund at conventions also know he's bursting with natural charisma, and it's clear that if he hadn't played Freddy Krueger, the character probably wouldn't have so many memorable lines and scenes. After all, Englund improvised Freddy's famous "Welcome to primetime, bitch!" line in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

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Unsurprisingly, despite Jackie Earle Haley being a great actor in his own right, recasting Freddy for 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street remake was received with scorn from franchise fans - even irrespective of the film's other problems. Yet, there's no way Nightmare on Elm Street stays dead forever. If and when it does return, New Line should take a cue from Stephen King's IT, using this method to keep Englund canon as well.

Nightmare On Elm Street: Freddy Should Become An IT-Like Shapeshifter

IT - Freddy Krueger and Pennywise

While many wish Englund would come back as Freddy for one more movie, he's been pretty clear about seeing himself as past the role, mostly because of his age. He did a guest spot as Freddy on the 1980s-set sitcom The Goldbergs, but that's his only performance as the character in nearly 20 years. That said, it's clear viewers won't accept another actor as Freddy, at least anytime soon. However, there may be a way around that, and it actually jumps off from an idea Englund himself discussed in 2018 (via Bloody Disgusting).

Englund suggested the next Nightmare on Elm Street make Freddy a shapeshifter in a fashion similar to Stephen King's IT, having the dream stalker look different in a way tailored to the deepest fears of a particular victim. Englund also floated the possibility of having Freddy's final form that's encountered by the last survivor being himself reprising the character. That means he's open to returning to the role in a limited way, and such an idea could work really well. While Freddy does do most of his kills as himself, he does have a history of changing form to menace or lure in victims, such as becoming Nancy's dad in Dream Warriors or Super Freddy in The Dream Child.

If done properly, this IT-esque shapeshifting mechanic could provide a way for no one performer to have to try and replace Englund. It would also make it possible to keep Englund's Freddy Krueger as the canon "final boss" of the franchise. If New Line wanted to really go meta, they could even have the Haley version re-appear, perhaps signaling a Freddy multiverse. The possibilities for a shapeshifting Freddy are wide open, and whenever a new Nightmare on Elm Street gets made, they would be wise to listen to Englund's advice.

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