When you think of the Evil Dead franchise, it’s hard to not also think about its lead actor, Bruce Campbell. The man has been present in every installment of the series since the first film released in 1981, from central character to post-credits cameo. However, with the latest film, Evil Dead Rise, seemingly distancing itself from everything that has been established in the 42 years since the first film, fans are speculating if Bruce Campbell is even in the movie and, if he is, what his role will be.
Will Bruce Campbell Appear in Evil Dead Rise?
It seems that Bruce Campbell is indeed in Evil Dead Rise, but only in a minor cameo appearance. His role is more of a wink and a nod to the actor’s legacy with the franchise rather than setting up any major plot threads or developments. After the cancelation of the Starz TV series Ash vs Evil Dead, Campbell announced that he would be retiring from the role of Ash Williams, serving as the end of an era for the series. He wouldn’t entirely conclude his involvement with the series though, as he serves as an executive producer of Evil Dead Rise.
However, Campbell’s involvement in the new film was first reported when he was interviewed about his cameo appearance in last year’s Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. When asked about Evil Dead Rise and if he would appear in it, Campbell said to listen to a priest’s voice being played back on a record.
More recently, Evil Dead Rise’s director Lee Cronin opened up about Campbell’s cameo in the film in an interview with NME. Cronin stated that “Bruce came over to Ireland when we were working on the sound and I asked him if he would do this teeny, tiny, little cameo for me. And the fun part is, that’s not necessarily Bruce Campbell playing someone else – that could very well be Ash Williams.”
Cronin even made a little game about where Campbell’s cameo was in the film, telling audiences at the film’s premiere at SXSW that the first person who discovered where Campbell’s cameo was would win a prize. So, it sounds like while Bruce Campbell is indeed present, his appearance is solely a blink and you’ll miss it cameo for longtime fans of the series and something that only eagle-eyed viewers will even notice,.
