Warning: Spoilers for Scream 2022 ahead.
The odds of Scream 6 returning the franchise to the screen seem high, especially with plenty of legacy characters and Ghostface killer survivors who could return for the movie. Eleven years after Scream 4, the Scream franchise was revived with Scream 2022, bringing back iconic characters like Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley, Martha Meeks, and the ghost of Billy Loomis. Even outside of on-screen returns, Scream 2022's numerous Easter eggs to past survivors grew the number of characters who could be involved in the franchise’s future. Only a few tend to survive Scream’s movies, but there’s always enough new and returning survivors to appear in a sequel.
While Scream movies seem to always keep Sidney, Gale, and Dewey alive to progress the franchise and serve as its basis, Scream 2022 did the unthinkable by killing off the latter character. Dewey sadly won’t be returning for Scream 6, but the 2022 movie still left plenty of survivors and previous characters to continue the franchise. Scream 2022’s killing spree was based on the idea of Scream original legacy characters and their family members, proving just how important it is for the franchise to be related to a survivor or killer from Woodsboro’s Ghostface murders. As Scream has proved time and again, just because a character has survived one Ghostface killer spree does not mean they’ll survive another.
Alongside some of the franchise staples, Scream 2022’s ending left several of the new, young characters still alive after Amber and Richie’s Ghostface murders. Considering how well Scream 5 has performed at the box office and its positive critical reception, it seems inevitable that Scream 6 will bring back Woodsboro’s surviving characters for another murder spree. Here’s a breakdown of every legacy character and survivor who could return for Scream 6.
Sidney Prescott
One of the most iconic final girls in horror movie history, Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott managed to survive another Ghostface attack in Scream 2022. In an unusual turn of events, the Ghostface killers in Scream 2022 weren’t actively targeting Sidney as their main victim, she simply came back to Woodsboro to help the teens who were targeted because they’re related to original victims and killers. Sidney ends up helping Sam, Tara, and the Meeks-Martin twins take down Amber and Richie, reuniting with Gale another time before they go their separate ways. As Scream 2022 mentions, there’s no movie without the original final girl returning, so it seems to go without saying that Sidney Prescott would have to appear in Scream 6.
Mark Kincaid
Detective Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) was last seen in Scream 3's epilogue where he, Gale, and Dewey all went over to watch a movie at Sidney’s house. After having been stabbed by Roman Bridges in Scream 3, Mark survived and seemed to have struck up a romance with Sidney, who he had spent plenty of time with while investigating the murders of the Stab 3 cast. Although he wasn’t included in Scream 4, Scream 2022 finally revealed that Sidney and Mark had since married and had three daughters together. Mark and their kids weren’t seen in Scream 2022, but it’s possible Patrick Dempsey’s character could return in Scream 6 to help his wife take down another Ghostface killer.
Gale Weathers
While her ex-husband wasn’t so lucky, Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers miraculously survived yet another Scream movie. Now a famous TV show host in Scream 2022's timeline, Gale returned to Woodsboro after Dewey informed her that Ghostface was back, after which she teamed up with Sidney to help the new group of teens the killers were targeting. Gale was shot by Amber, but survived with little to no injuries, as she was simply sitting outside of one of the ambulances with Sidney while the teens were rushed off to the hospital. Scream 2022 ended with Gale stating she would write about Dewey’s heroics in a book, leaving the killers anonymous so as to avoid fame. With Sidney and Gale never being able to escape Ghostface, it seems likely that she’ll return for the next spree in Scream 6.
Kirby Reed
While it was assumed that Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) was murdered in Scream 4 when the film ended ambiguously after she had been stabbed by Charlie multiple times, two Scream 2022 Easter eggs confirmed Kirby Reed's survival. Kirby’s name was featured in Dewey Riley’s recent call log, suggesting that not only is she alive, but she also keeps in contact with Woodsboro’s protector figure. Kirby was also seen in a recommended video to the side of the screen when Richie is watching a review of Stab 8, which was titled “Interview With Woodsboro Survivor Kirby Reed.” Since Kirby was a fan-favorite in Scream 4, she could easily return in Scream 6 to join forces with Mindy Meeks-Martin as the franchise’s resident horror expert.
Stu Macher
Although it was long believed that Stu Macher had died from being electrocuted by a television when Sidney dropped it on him in Scream 1996, Stu is technically still alive in Scream canon. After being Billy’s accomplice as a Ghostface killer in Scream 1996, it was assumed that Stu was killed by Sidney, so it’s unclear what became of him since then. Scream 3 confimed Stu was still alive in Wes Craven’s original screenplay, where he was initally supposed to appear as a fairly prominent supporting character. While this never happened, Stu Macher actor Matthew Lillard has shared the sentiment that the character is still alive in Scream 2022’s timeline. Stu may not have appeared in Scream 2022, but his nephew Vince was brutally murdered by Ghostface before it was revealed that Amber was living in his old house. If Stu really is still alive in Scream canon, Scream 6 would be the perfect opportunity to revive the character.
Billy Loomis' Ghost
Scream 2022 marks the first return of legacy character Billy Loomis since Scream 1996, where he served as the film’s primary antagonist and first Ghostface killer. Sidney’s boyfriend in Scream 1996 was revealed to have killed her mother before Billy started his murder spree with Stu Macher. Skeet Ulrich’s character was eventually killed by Sidney, who shot him numerous times in order to stop his serial killing frenzy. While Billy has been referenced in every Scream movie since, Scream 2022 is the first time he was brought back on screen, with Skeet Ulrich reprising the role through de-aging technology. Billy’s role in Scream 2022 is as a ghost, who Sam hallucinates throughout the film as she deals with her fears of becoming a murderer like her father. Since Sam survived Scream 2022, it’s possible that Skeet Ulrich will reprise his deceased role in Scream 6 and return as Billy Loomis' ghost in Sam’s visions.
Sam & Tara Carpenter
Taking over for Sidney and the legacy characters, sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter are arguably the main protagonists of Scream 2022. Tara survived an unthinkable attack in Scream 2022 after being stabbed in the opening scene by Ghostface, which is extremely uncommon as nearly every victim in Scream’s opening scenes has died, thus kicking off the rest of the murder spree. Tara’s attack finally called her older sister Sam Carpenter back to Woodsboro, who is revealed to be the secret daughter of Billy Loomis. Due to their secret familial connection to the original Ghostface killer, Tara and Sam became two of the key targets for Woodsboro’s latest murder spree. As it turned out, Scream 2022’s killers were revealed as Richie and Amber, Sam's boyfriend and Tara’s best friend, respectively. In the end, Sam and Tara both got revenge on the killers who betrayed them, with Sam brutally stabbing Richie in a manner that had to be inherited from Billy and Tara shooting Amber in the head. Sam and Tara revealed they were getting out of Woodsboro after the events of Scream 2022, but history tells that leaving Woodsboro never actually means escaping Ghostface. Since Sam and Tara have become integral to Scream’s story, it would be surprising if they didn’t return for Scream 6.
Chad & Mindy Meeks-Martin
The horror-smart nephew and niece of original Scream character Randy Meeks, twin siblings Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin thankfully survived Scream 2022’s bloody ending. Mindy ended up taking on the role as expert of horror rules in Scream 2022, taking over from her Uncle Randy in the first two (and technically third) Scream movies and Kirby Reed in Scream 4. With Kirby revealed to be alive in Scream 2022, it’s possible Scream 6 could set up the two as a sarcastically-inclined expert tag team. Chad’s possible role in Scream 6 is uncertain, but he was surprisingly one of the smartest characters of Scream 2022, thus subverting the horror trope of the clueless jock. Although the children of Martha Meeks were extremely cautious about following the horror movie rules, Chad and Mindy were both stabbed outside by Amber as Ghostface, with Chad being chased outside Amber’s house while Mindy was cut right after Amber’s killer identity reveal. The Meeks-Martin twins were last seen in Scream 2022's ending being carted off into ambulances to treat their stab wounds, giving each other a loving thumbs-up before they’re reunited in the hospital.
Martha Meeks
One of the best-received cameos of legacy Scream characters was that of Martha Meeks (Heather Matarazzo), Randy Meeks’ younger sister who first appeared in Scream 3 to give the police a tape that Randy made of horror movie rules for trilogies. Martha returned for a short cameo when Scream 2022’s legacy and family-related characters meet to discuss their connections to the Ghostface killings at her house, with Martha greeting Dewey and bringing out snacks while her children lead the discussion. Considering both of Martha’s children were stabbed by Ghostface, she’s apt to be much wearier in the likely Scream 6 sequel, or she’ll finally have to face one of the killers herself.
Neil Prescott
While Sidney’s father Neil Prescott didn’t return for Scream 4 and Scream 2022, he’s still assumed to be alive in the present timeline. Neil had a fairly significant role in Scream 1996 when he was captured by Billy and Stu, who were planning to frame him for the murders before Sidney was able to save him. Neil then returned for a quick cameo in Scream 3 as a recap of Sidney’s life and her clear withdrawal from the other survivors after the events of Scream 2. Since Sidney now has a growing family with Mark Kincaid, it’s possible that Woodsboro's Scream 6 killings could bring back Neil Prescott if Ghostface makes Sidney their main target once again.
Every Other Scream Legacy Character & Survivor Who Could Return
Although most of Scream’s recurring or main characters have been killed off by the many Ghostfaces, a few of the minor legacy figures and survivors of Scream 2022 can still return for Scream 6. One of the most iconic minor characters from the Scream franchise came from Joshua Jackson’s Scream 2 cameo, where he was simply credited as “Film Class Guy #1.” He was featured in one of the film courses at Sidney and Randy’s college, so it’s possible his horror film knowledge could come in handy in the future alongside Kirby Reed and Mindy Meeks-Martin. Another character who could return is Angelina Tyler, who portrayed Sidney in the fictional Stab 3 movie within Scream 3. While she was assumed to have died after she was stabbed by Roman, her death happened off-screen, which is a tell-tale sign that the character didn’t die in Scream. She was also listed as a character still alive after Scream 3 by Wes Craven in a booklet featured in the Scream Trilogy box set.
Another living Scream character who hasn’t been seen in a while is Hank Loomis, Billy’s father who was having an affair with Sidney’s mother Maureen. Hank was last seen in a video made by Roman in Scream 3, but his fate hasn’t been mentioned since. As Sam’s biological grandfather, it would make sense for Hank to return in Scream 6 to continue the franchise’s familial trend. If Mark Kincaid returns for Scream 6, a legacy character that can reappear alongside him is his partner Detective Wallace, who also survived the Scream 3's Ghostface murders by Roman Bridger. Since Scream 2022 relied on the legacies of past franchise characters, any minor surviving character is fair game to return for Scream 6.