Evil Dead Starts A New Era After Bruce Campbell's Confirmation Of Ash's Future

Published Aug 30, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art. The Evil Dead franchise is entering a completely different chapter after a major update about its most iconic character. For more than four decades, the Evil Dead series has been closely associated with one chainsaw-wielding hero – Ash Williams. Even as the franchise expanded beyond its original cabin setting and experimented with new protagonists, locations, and tones, his presence was felt. This, however, changed for good with Evil Dead Burn. Recent entries have already demonstrated that Evil Dead can survive without relying entirely on its original formula. Fede Álvarez's Evil Dead reboot in 2013 introduced a new lead in Mia Allen, while Evil Dead Rise moved the action from an isolated woodland cabin to a Los Angeles apartment building. 2026's Evil Dead Burn continued that trend, further proving that Deadites can terrorize people almost anywhere. At the same time, Bruce Campbell remained a constant presence behind the scenes. Even when he wasn't front and center, the actor continued serving as a producer and frequently found ways to appear in the franchise. For longtime audiences, those appearances helped maintain a connection to the series' roots while allowing filmmakers to tell new stories. That era now appears to be over. With Evil Dead Burn becoming the first movie in the franchise's history without even a small Bruce Campbell appearance and Campbell's recent comments regarding Ash Williams, Evil Dead has officially entered its first truly post-Ash era. Evil Dead Burn Moves The Franchise On From Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection While Evil Dead Burn is not the first Evil Dead movie without Ash as the lead, it is the first to completely sever the franchise's on-screen connection to Bruce Campbell. The 2013 Evil Dead reboot largely focused on Mia Allen, but Campbell still appeared in the film's post-credits scene as Ash, delivering his trademark "Groovy" catchphrase. Evil Dead Rise went even further by featuring Campbell's voice in a hidden cameo that director Lee Cronin later connected to the wider mythology of the series. Evil Dead Burn is different. Campbell remained involved as an executive producer, but it marks the first time the franchise has moved forward without even a brief appearance from the actor. That distinction demonstrates just how confident the franchise has become in its newer direction. Instead of using Ash as a connective tissue between stories, the modern films have increasingly relied on the Necronomicon, Deadites, and shared mythology to maintain continuity. For a series that spent decades revolving around one hero with a chainsaw hand and a boomstick, that's a significant evolution. Bruce Campbell Has Confirmed He's Done Playing Ash Williams For years, many assumed Bruce Campbell might eventually return as Ash Williams in some form. Even after Ash vs. Evil Dead ended in 2018, Campbell occasionally discussed possible animated continuations and remained closely associated with the franchise. However, his recent comments have made his position unmistakably clear. In an interview with Screen Rant, Campbell stated that "Ash is done" and revealed that he has no plans to provide voice work for future animated projects either. After portraying Ash across The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Army of Darkness, and Ash vs. Evil Dead, Campbell's decision closes the book on one of horror's longest-running actor-character relationships. What The Future Of Evil Dead Looks Like The good news is that Evil Dead is showing no signs of slowing down. In April 2024, it was announced that another installment was in development with Francis Galluppi attached to write and direct. Raimi and Rob Tapert are producing through Ghost House Pictures, while Campbell remains involved as an executive producer. The movie was ultimately named Evil Dead Wrath, with production wrapping on May 30, 2026. It is currently scheduled for release in 2028. While plot details have not been released, it seems the Evil Dead franchise is adapting more of an anthology-style approach, telling separate tales with a minor link connecting them. That flexibility has already produced three dramatically different modern entries: the brutal, addiction-focused Evil Dead, the family-centered terror of Evil Dead Rise, and the grief-driven nightmare of Evil Dead Burn. Ash Williams may no longer be leading the charge in Evil Dead, but the franchise he helped build looks healthier than it has in decades. The chainsaw has finally been passed to a new generation. TV Show(s) Ash vs Evil Dead Video Game(s) Evil Dead: Hail to the King, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick, Evil Dead: Regeneration, Evil Dead: The Game First Film The Evil Dead Cast Bruce Campbell, Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lily Sullivan, Nell Fisher, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo Created by Sam Raimi Character(s) Ashley Williams, Mia Allen, David Allen, Bethany Bixler, Kassie Bixler, Pablo Simon Bolivar, Kelly Maxwell