Warning: Spoilers ahead for 2022's Scream!
Since the release of Scream 4 in 2011, there was a belief Hayden Panettiere's Kirby Reed survived the movie's events, and the latest Scream finally confirmed the character's fate. Panettiere was one of the young newcomers that debuted in Wes Craven's final Scream installment, playing a fan-favorite who seemingly met a deadly end. She was initially presented as a close friend of Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), the cousin of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). Jill also happened to be the mastermind behind the Ghostface killings.
Kirby was a loyal friend of Jill's, but she was more than the trusty sidekick. She was a horror movie expert who didn't hold back when it came to voicing her opinion. After the secret Stab-a-thon movie marathon turned deadly in Woodsboro, Jill and her friends ended up at Kirby's house. Kirby was one of the last survivors trying to outlive Ghostface's latest hunt, but she ended up trusting the wrong person: Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin). The classmate, who she flirted with just moments before, stabbed her multiple times after assuming she saved his life.
Panettiere's Scream 4 character was last seen crumpled over in a pool of blood. Though a dead body wasn't shown, the other survivors didn't mention the character. In fact, Jill was mentioned by the media as the lone young survivor, while Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette) didn't list Kirby when he stated who was left alive to Jill. Granted, to follow Scream's other in-universe rules, no body usually meant no death. Panettiere didn't appear in 2022's Scream, but in this case, the belief surrounding the character's survival turned out to be accurate because Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's movie confirmed Kirby Reed is very much alive.
Kirby's Survival Was Confirmed In A Scream 2022 Easter Egg
In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, the speculation regarding Kirby's fate in the Scream franchise was put to rest. At the start of the movie, Jack Quaid's Richie claimed he wasn't familiar with the Stab movies, leading him to catch up on them through Netflix. At one point, he was even shown watching the YouTube channel Dead Meat featuring hosts James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca discussing Stab 8. On the right-hand side of his screen, a column of suggested videos appeared. One of which featured a thumbnail of Hayden Panettiere with a video titled "Interview With Woodsboro Survivor Kirby Reed."
The Kirby Easter egg was briefly shown twice in the sequence, but it happened so fast, many viewers may have missed the reveal. Earlier in the film, Kirby's name was even seen in Dewey's missed call lists. Though Panettiere doesn't directly appear in Scream, the truth may allow for the character to return to the franchise in the future. There's been a push to bring back her back in some fashion, with even David Arquette requesting Kirby's return. The Easter egg proves that Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett have been impressively in-tune with theories surrounding the franchise.
Kirby's survival also adds that not all is what it seems in the Scream movies. With seemingly dead villains jumping back to life and gravely injured heroes living to see another day time and time again, Scream still has tricks up its sleeves. Unlike other horror franchises, Scream has traditionally allowed more than one main character to survive. Fan-favorites fall into that same character. There might not be a chance to reverse Dewey's Scream fate, but there's now a glimpse of hope for the future of other characters thanks to Kirby Reed's return.