Bruce Campbell Explains Why EVIL DEAD is Moving Beyond Ash: “Not Part Of Any Big Overriding Story Or Scheme”
For generations of horror fans, the Evil Dead franchise and Ash Williams have gone hand in hand. Whether he was battling Deadites in a creepy cabin, traveling through time, or wielding his iconic chainsaw hand, Ash became the face of one of horror’s most beloved franchises.
But after more than four decades, Bruce Campbell says the series has officially charted a different path, and Ash is no longer at the center of it.
Campbell recently spoke with the Detroit Free Press about the future of the franchise and explained that the success of Evil Dead Rise proved that Evil Dead can thrive without relying on the characters and creators who built the original trilogy.
When asked if Ash still has a role to play in the franchise’s future, Campbell made it clear that fans shouldn’t expect the character to be part of any larger ongoing narrative.
“No, no. I think I think basically from Evil Dead Rise on, Ash is … you know, they wanted some little gag of Ash at the end of the movie. We did that as a lark,” he told Detroit Free Press. “He’s not part of any big overriding story or scheme.”
That brief appearance was a fun nod for longtime fans, but it wasn’t setting up some grand return. Instead, the franchise is embracing standalone stories and fresh characters as it moves forward.
Campbell went on to explain that the massive success of Evil Dead Rise helped validate that approach.
“Thankfully, Evil Dead Rise made the most of any money we’ve made from any Evil Dead, so far, and it validated the fact that we can get away from those main elements.
“You’ve got to find a new audience, because the original Evil Dead fans, you get some of them, you’re not going to get all of them, because they like those original elements. They like me and Sam and Ash and all that sort of crap.”
It’s a practical outlook, even if it may suck for fans who hoped to see Ash return for one more adventure. Campbell first stepped into the role in The Evil Dead in 1981, launching a horror legacy alongside Sam Raimi that continued through Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness.
He later popped up in a post-credits cameo for Fede Álvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead reboot before officially retiring from the role following the end of Ash vs. Evil Dead.
While Ash may be stepping aside, the franchise itself is showing no signs of slowing down. Evil Dead Rise took the series in a darker and more grounded direction, earning an impressive $147 million worldwide and introducing a whole new generation to the horrors of the Necronomicon.
That momentum continues next year with Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn, which is set to hit theaters on July 10, 2027. After that, Francis Galluppi’s Evil Dead Wrath is scheduled to arrive on April 7, 2028.
The future of Evil Dead may no longer revolve around Ash Williams, but Campbell’s comments suggest that’s exactly the point. Rather than building one connected saga, the franchise appears focused on telling new nightmares from different corners of the Evil Dead universe.
For fans, Ash will always be the guy who defined the series. But if Evil Dead Rise proved anything, it’s that there are still plenty of terrifying stories left to tell, even without a chainsaw-wielding hero leading the charge.