Scream 6: Stu Macher Theories Continue Despite Death Confirmation From Creator

It's been about three decades since the original Ghostface duo of Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) met their demise while trying to murder Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). Lillard's character sees a particularly gruesome end as he takes a massive television to the head, all while bleeding profusely from stab wounds.

Some eagle-eyed fans spotted Lillard in "Scream 2" during a college party scene, fueling rumors that Stu didn't die. Film creator Kevin Williamson attempted to squash this theory during an interview with Collider: "No, he's dead. I think that started because of the college scene, the frat party scene because he's standing in the background. He [Lillard] just came to visit set that night."

Still, theories of Stu's survival have only grown stronger over the years, especially with the release of "Scream 6." YouTuber @sistapam suggested that Stu, possibly aided by Christina Carpenter, is leading the next generation of Ghostfaces. In fact, this theory states that he actually takes part in a few kills. For example, it's Quinn Bailey (Liana Liberato) who allegedly ends the life of Gale Weathers' (Courteney Cox) boyfriend Brooks (Thomas Cadrot). However, the force needed to stab and throw this fully-grown man into a bookshelf seems like it would require a larger, stronger killer than Quinn. According to theorists, things go even deeper than this.

Many "Scream" fans fiercely believe that Stu Macher survives his injuries and goes into hiding following the events of the first film. In "Scream 6," the bloody T-shirt of Billy Loomis is displayed at the gory shrine, but Stu's tan sweater isn't there. That's because, according to the believers, it never had a chance to be handed over to police.

Other clues include the fact that Ghostface uses a gun (Stu's weapon of choice) during the intense convenience store scene, and that it's possible for characters to survive some pretty rough attacks — just look at Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere). There's also the cryptic words of Randy (Jamie Kennedy) early on in the franchise: "The past will come back to bite you in the a**. Whatever you think you know about the past, forget it. The past is not at rest!"

A number of fans are holding out hope that these alleged Easter eggs mean an epic return for Stu in "Scream 7." In response to @sistapam's YouTube video, @HaroldWinchester said, "I can only imagine Stu being revealed to be the killer ... and he just says 'Surprise Sidney.' I would go BALLISTIC inside of that movie theater." Plus, Lillard's insistence that Stu isn't dead certainly adds fuel to the fire. In an interview with Us Weekly, the actor hilariously volunteered to drop a TV on his head to prove it's not deadly.