Matthew Lillard is scared of 'screwing up' Scream's legacy with his return

Matthew Lillard has admitted he's "slightly terrified" of "screwing up" Scream's legacy with his return to the franchise.

It was announced in January that the Scooby-Doo actor would be returning to the slasher series almost 30 years after appearing as Stu Macher in the 1996 original.

During a panel at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut, on Sunday, Lillard admitted he was nervous about his comeback messing up Scream's legacy.

"I am very excited and slightly terrified to be back because all I can do is really screw up a legacy that we have," he shared, according to People. "I could really suck, and so that's my fear. My fear is that I come back and sort of punish something that I could never have touched and been just fine. I hope I don't F it up for everyone."

It remains to be seen how Lillard's Stu returns to the franchise, as he was believed to be killed off at the end of the first film.

Stu was revealed to be one of the Ghostface killers trying to murder Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott. He was stabbed repeatedly before she dropped a giant TV on his face, leaving many assuming he was dead.

Lillard remained tight-lipped during the panel, stating, "I will say, I can't say anything about it, obviously."

He was joined by his original Scream co-stars David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, and Skeet Ulrich on the panel. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Arquette's sheriff, Dewey Riley, was also coming back, despite being killed by Ghostface in 2022's Scream.

The casting news has led fans to speculate if Lillard, Arquette and Scott Foley as Roman Bridger will appear in flashbacks or dream sequences.

Scream 7 stars Campbell, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown and franchise newcomers Anna Camp, Joel McHale, Mark Consuelos and Mckenna Grace.

Production is currently underway ahead of a release in February 2026.