Matthew Lillard's Scream 2 Cameo Explained & How It Set Up Stu's Return

One of the first Ghostface killers in the Scream franchise was Stu Macher, played by Matthew Lillard. Stu was working with his best friend Billy Loomis to commit the horrific attacks on the teenagers in Woodsboro. Both of the murderers seemed to have been killed by the end of the first Scream installment. However, Matthew Lillard appeared in a cameo role in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment during Scream 2. This cameo, as well as another small “cameo” in Scream 5 has fed into the rumor of a possible Stu Macher return to the Scream franchise.




At the end of the first Scream film, it seemed like Stu Macher was killed after having a television fall on him and crush his head. However, there has always been speculation about a possible return for Stu. Even Matthew Lillard has reacted to these theories himself by not ruling out a possible return. The cameo in Scream 2 just led to more speculation, even though the actor was credited as “Guy at Party”, and he was on-screen for a second. Even if the cameo was just for nostalgia, it still makes a cool Easter egg.


Matthew Lillard Made A Surprise Cameo In Scream 2

He Was In The Background Of The Sorority Party Scene


During the sorority party in Scream 2, there is a blonde-haired guy in the background wearing a plain white shirt and a blue over shirt. He is played by Matthew Lillard, the actor who played Stu in the first Scream movie. He is just out of focus from the camera and is in the background of the scene, so he won’t be spotted unless someone was looking for him. There have been debates and speculation for years about whether Lillard was reprising his role from the first Scream movie, or if it was just a fun cameo for eagle-eyed viewers.

This hug could be seen as passing the torch from one Ghostface to another, as Stu was the Ghostface in the first film and Mickey was Ghostface in the second.


In the scene, Lillard’s character is shown giving Mickey (Timothy Olyphant) a hug before leaving and walking out of frame. This hug could be seen as passing the torch from one Ghostface to another, as Stu was the Ghostface in the first film and Mickey was Ghostface in the second. Whether Lillard was just playing an extra in the back of the scene or reprising his role of Stu Macher, the cameo makes for a fun little Easter egg, especially for a film franchise where most actors can’t return due to a lot of the characters being killed off.

Stu Was Originally Supposed To Be In Scream 3

Original Plans For The Film Saw Stu Being The Mastermind Of The Ghostface Killings From Behind Bars

When he signed on to the film franchise, Matthew Lillard originally signed on and got paid for three movies. In the early stages of the development of Scream 3, Stu was actually supposed to return as the mastermind behind the Ghostface killings. He was supposed to be orchestrating the whole thing from prison. This plan was eventually scrapped, with Roman becoming the Ghostface killer of Scream 3, and the apparent mastermind behind all the Ghostface killings at that point. Matthew Lillard actually spoke to Vulture and said:


“I was supposed do Scream 3. I got paid for 3. Not really well, but I ended up getting paid for something I didn’t do because the idea was that I’d be running high-school killers from jail. Look, it’s a horror movie! Crazy things happen all the time. Have you seen Friday the 13th? Jason comes back — like Stu still could come back.”

This could explain Lillard’s cameo in Scream 2. He had been paid for the three films, even though he was only needed for a major role in the first. The producers probably just wanted to get their money’s worth, so they got him on set for a day to film a small, unimportant cameo for Scream 2. However, even if this was just a cameo at the time, it still leaves the door open for Lillard to return to the franchise as Stu in the future if the opportunity presents itself.


Stu Had Another “Cameo” In Scream 5 (But Will He Return?)

Still To This Day, Lillard Is Giving His Image To The Scream Franchise

A YouTube video fuelling the rumours of Stu Macher's return to the Scream franchise in Scream 5

One of the best Easter eggs in Scream 5 was when Sam was on her computer scrolling through YouTube. A video was suggested on the side of the screen, and this video was an interview with Kirby Reed about the events of Scream 4, hinting that the character had survived her attack. Kirby returned in person during Scream 6. Also, in the scene where Sam was scrolling through YouTube, there was a video suggestion about Stu Macher called “did the real Stu Macher survive?” After seeing Kirby return, the video of Stu caused more theories to arise about the character’s possible return.

A red background with Ghostface from Scream in the centre

Related

The Scream Movies Wasted An Exciting Ghostface Reveal By Repeating A 26-Year-Old Twist

Quinn Bailey had so much potential to be one of the best Ghostface killers in the Scream films, but she was overshadowed for many different reasons.


As well as this, Matthew Lillard offered his voice to another cameo in Scream 5 during the memorial scene for Wes. In the scene, all the party goers yell “To Wes” in tribute to Wes Craven. Stu was also mentioned quite heavily in Scream 6, particularly between Kirby and Mindy, where Mindy states the theory that Stu could still be alive. Even if he is done playing Stu Macher, it is great that Matthew Lillard pays tribute to his roots and still lends himself to cameo roles in the Scream franchise today.