Summary

• Neve Campbell will reprise her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream 7, opening the door for the possible return of other legacy characters.
• Quite a few characters from the Scream franchise are still alive, including Sidney's father Neil Prescott.
• Legacy characters like Kirby Reed could also provide essential aid to Sidney when Ghostface strikes again.

There are quite a few Scream franchise legacy characters who would be perfect to star alongside Sidney in Scream 7. Neve Campbell, who played consummate final girl Sidney Prescott in the first five movies of the slasher franchise, has announced that she will be returning to reprise her role in the new movie. The actor had previously declined to return in the sixth installment, which was released in 2023, after receiving an offer that she said "did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise."

The Scream 7 faces similar behind-the-scenes issues. Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in the two most recent movies, was controversially fired after sharing pro-Palestine social media posts. Quickly afterward, it was announced that Jenna Ortega, who played Sam's sister Tara, was also not attached to the project, for unknown reasons. While it would be ideal for both stars to return as well, now that Campbell is back, it seems that the door is open for other legacy characters from the original Scream movies to return. There are several whose return would be exciting for the new sequel.

10 Neil Prescott (Lawrence Hecht)

Last seen in Scream 3

Sidney's father Neil Prescott has never held a major role in the Scream movies, though he was considered as a Ghostface suspect at one point in the original installment. He is most notable for his absence, as a work trip took him away from home at exactly the time that the killer in the original movie struck. However, because he is a relatively minor character, he has never been killed onscreen and would thus be able to return to potentially provide a stabilizing presence in Sidney's life when Ghostface strikes yet again.

9 Maureen Prescott (Lynn McRee)

Last seen in Scream 3

While Sidney's mother Maureen has been dead since before the events of the original movie, she has nevertheless been a majorly important figure in the franchise. The choices she made in her life provided the motives for two of the Ghostface killers, and she appeared as a ghostly hallucination to torment a haunted Sidney in 2000's Scream 3. This kind of hallucination could be the avenue through which Maureen returns yet again, allowing Sidney to grapple with her demons in a similar manner to Sam, who saw visions of her late father Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).

8 Sister Lois (Rebecca Gayheart)

Last seen in Scream 2

Sister Lois was a sorority girl who existed to provide comic relief in 1997's Scream 2, so she was never an important target for Ghostface. Because of this, she was able to survive the movie, though she has not been seen or mentioned in subsequent installments. The return of Sister Lois could provide further comic relief if she seems largely unchanged by her experience in the movie, but a total reversal of her previously shallow character could also drive quite a bit of humor.

7 Sister Murphy (Portia de Rossi)

Last seen in Scream 2

Murphy, who was Lois' sorority sister, was attached at the hip to her friend and likewise survived the Ghostface massacre at Windsor College. It seems probable that, should she return, she would be part of a pair with Lois once again. In addition to general comic relief, her return could also provide the character with the opportunity to repeat one of her most iconic lines, "Hi! No, I really mean that. Hi."

6 Joel (Duane Martin)

Last seen in Scream 2

One of the smartest characters in the Scream franchise, Gale Weathers' temporary cameraman Joel quit his job and left campus before Ghostface could kill him. While he was briefly seen at the end of the movie, nothing more has been heard from him throughout the rest of the franchise. Should he reappear, he may be able to impart some wisdom about how to survive a horror movie that even Sidney hasn't yet learned.

5 Tori Spelling (Herself)

Last seen in Scream 2

After Sidney joked about Tori Spelling potentially playing her in a movie about her life, her nightmare came true when Stab was released during the events of Scream 2. Tori Spelling did indeed play Sidney in Stab, and the 90210 actor played herself in an in-universe televised interview promoting the fictional slasher, though she and Sidney never directly interacted. Given the fact that the new movies still feature references to the Stab franchise, this could be a prime opportunity for the pair to finally meet, allowing Sidney to contend with the warped image of herself presented by the fictional movies.

4 Martha Meeks (Heather Matarazzo)

Last seen in Scream (2022)

Martha only had a brief cameo in Scream 3, delivering a videotape of posthumous advice from her brother Randy (Jamie Kennedy), but she has risen in prominence in the franchise since then. She is the mother of twins Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), who are part of the new "Core Four" survivors. If producers are unwilling or unable to renegotiate the contracts for Barrera and Ortega's returns, it seems likely that the siblings will take on a more central role in Scream 7. As an extension, Martha could thus become an even more important character too.

3 Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere)

Last seen in Scream VI

Kirby's supposed death in Scream 4 was retconned to allow her to return in Scream VI, making her the first Ghostface victim to ever reappear, alive, in a sequel. While it makes the canonical depictions of many characters' deaths more challenging to parse, her return allowed her to grow as a character while still retaining her effortlessly cool demeanor. Her possible comeback in the new movie could provide Sidney with a powerful ally, as her unparalleled horror movie knowledge and newfound FBI connections might help the final girl out of a sticky situation or two.

2 Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey)

Last seen in Scream 3

Mark hasn't been seen since appearing in Scream 3, in which he was a Los Angeles detective and potential love interest for Sidney. However, dialogue in the 2022 movie implied that Sidney later married and had children with him, which would mean that the character could very well reappear if the new movie explores Sidney's home life before Ghostface strikes again. Dempsey's role in the 2023 Eli Roth movie Thanksgiving recently brought Dempsey back into the orbit of the slasher genre, which could indicate that he is willing to return, should he be asked.

1 Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox)

Last seen in Scream VI

Because of Sidney's absence from the most recent movie and Dewey's (David Arquette) death in the fifth installment, Gale is now the only member of the original trio of characters who has appeared in every single Scream movie. As such, it is only fitting that she returns in Scream 7. After taking on a more centralized role in the newest entry, she likely has a stronger vendetta than ever against those who take on the Ghostface mantle, and even more experience with fighting them and living to tell the tale.