Robert Englund played iconic undead serial killer Freddy Krueger throughout the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but he's conspicuously absent in the 2010 remake. The character of Freddy Krueger began his reign of terror in Wes Craven's 1984 horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. The story centers around former Springwood Slasher, Krueger, who killed several children in the midwestern town while he was alice. A small group of parents took justice into their own hands, burning Krueger alive. He returns years later as a vengeful spirit with the ability to stalk and slash the children of his killers in their dreams. England reprised the character of Freddy Krueger in eight more films and in the television series Freddy's Nightmares and A Nightmare on Elm Street: Real Nightmares.
After starring in a string of forgettable roles, Englund got his first big break playing Willie in the 1983 science fiction miniseries V. He returned for the sequel V: The Final Battle and V: The Series. However, it was his role in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies as the green and red sweater-clad killer with a glove made of knives that turned Englund into a horror icon. Englund spent 19 years playing the role of Krueger. His last big-screen appearance was in Freddy vs. Jason in 2003. Englund has the distinction of being one of three actors to play the same horror character eight consecutive times, alongside Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) and Doug Bradley (Pinhead).
In 2010, New Line Cinema released a remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street directed by Samuel Bayer and produced by Michael Bay, with Jackie Earle Haley playing the role of Freddy Krueger. The film was maligned by audiences and critics alike. It was a darker take on the source material with Haley's Krueger being a child molester - an element included in Craven's original script that never made it into the final version. Haley received an Oscar nod in 2007 for his role as a sex offender in the film Little Children, so he had the needed gravitas to tackle the material. Fans had embraced Englund's Krueger as a villain, but turning the central antagonist into a child molester infused a disturbing reality into the storyline. The remake also lacked Krueger's trademark humor, and Bayer's intention to make Freddy less funny and scarier may be the reason he recast the role. Just before the release of the remake, Movieweb asked Englund if he had a cameo in the film, and the actor responded, "Oh no, they want to have their own identity. They're rebooting the franchise, and I understand that. I'm not the guy to put down remakes."
In 2018, Englund donned his famous fedora and glove once again to appear in the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. Englund initially refused show creator Adam Goldberg's request. He had a change of heart after Goldberg sent him a letter explaining the impact A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warrior had on him growing up. Englund told the NY Post,"... I started thinking about my fans, how it dovetails with the '80s experience, and this sort of retro memory play that The Goldbergs is about." Englund also discussed Krueger's particular brand of humor. "Freddy's always had this great personality and sense of humor — that kind of cool clown-jester-from-hell aspect ... "
Another Nightmare on Elm Street reboot could be in the works, but after the failure of the 2010 remake to jump-start the franchise, it's questionable if the show can go on without Englund. The actor - who is now 73 - told EW he's too old to headline another Freddy Krueger vehicle. "I don't think I'll ever don the makeup again. I'm a little too old for that. I'm a little long in the tooth to play Freddy now." Englund is, however, open to playing a smaller role.