Skeet Ulrich was originally going to return as Billy in Scream 7: Here’s why it couldn’t happen

The original antagonist of the Scream franchise, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), was supposed to be in Scream 7, the next film in the horror series starring Matthew Lillard, Courtney Cox, and more.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, the actor said:

"I used to know because part of coming back for five and six was being a part of seven. It was a three-picture arc for Billy Loomis, or the imagination of Billy Loomis in Melissa Barrera‘s character’s head. But when all that went down with her, obviously you lose her and you lose what’s in her head."

Billy's character dies in the first film but makes an appearance in 2022's Scream and 2023's Scream VI as a ghostly apparition. Alongside him, Matthew Lillard played his accomplice, Stu Macher, also deceased. However, he is also set to return in Scream 7, though we can't say in what capacity.

Why is Melissa Barrera's character not in Scream 7?

Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in the sixth and seventh installments of the franchise, was removed from the franchise following her comments on the Gaza war. She later issued a statement clearing her stance, saying that:

"I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people. As a latina, a proud Mexicana, I feel the responsibility of having a platform that allows me the privilege of being heard, and therefore I have tried to use it to raise awareness about issues I care about and to lend my voice to those in need."

However, she wasn't recast after that. Alongside her, Jenna Ortega, who played Tara Carpenter, also left the film, explaining her exit because of the change in the creative team.

Given that Scream 7 was supposed to be a three-part arc for Billy Loomis, it will be worth seeing how they handled a new story from there on. If you remember, a similar case went down with the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently, too.

After Avengers: Endgame (2019), the fifth movie planned in the series, Avengers: Kang Dynasty, had to go through major story changes. Jonathan Majors, who played Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).

However, due to his ongoing legal issues at the time, the MCU had to let him go, which also meant that they had a couple of choices: either recast someone in the role of Kang the Conqueror or change the entire story that would perfectly connect Endgame and Secret Wars. The creators chose to do the latter.

Last year, during the San Diego Comic Con, in a stylish presentation, Robert Downey Jr. was revealed to be playing Doctor Doom in a newly titled film, Avengers: Doomsday, currently scheduled for release on December 18, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.

Now it remains to be seen what the creators of Scream 7 have done with the story so it connects with its predecessor perfectly. There aren't any discussions about the eighth Scream film, but rumors about it are everywhere.

Scream 7 releases on February 27, 2026.