The Deadites are finally returning to theaters next month in Evil Dead Rise. However, some fans are finding it hard to get excited about another installment of the long-running horror series that doesn’t feature Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams. Campbell has been the face of the franchise since the original installment in 1981. But although he has since retired from playing Ash onscreen, he isn’t opposed to revisiting the character in different formats. While speaking with Bloody Disgusting, Campbell discussed the animated continuation of the Evil Dead saga that he began teasing last year. Thankfully, it’s still in the works, but there’s no timeframe as to when it will actually premiere.
Having played Ash in three Evil Dead movies and all three seasons of Ash vs. Evil Dead, Campbell confirmed his retirement from the role in late 2021, citing his age as a major factor. Despite this, he still returned to voice Ash in 2022’s Evil Dead: The Game. He also made an appearance as his iconic character in a Dead by Daylight expansion in 2019. But when it comes to the animated series, it sounds like he’s beholden to Sam Raimi’s jam-packed schedule.
“All I can say is we’re actively pursuing it,” said Campbell. “Sam’s a busy guy. He had a big hit movie, so he’s got a lot on his plate, but he and his brother are actively shaping out the world. It’s one thing to get an animator and say, ‘Hey, animate this!’ You’ve got to know what you’re going to animate. I look forward to it, because my voice hasn’t aged as much as I have.”
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The “hit movie” that Campbell referenced is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which marked the original Spider-Man director’s long-awaited return to the superhero genre. Marvel has yet to announce whether Raimi is coming back to direct the inevitable third Doctor Strange movie, which would presumably take up a lot of his time. Regardless, Raimi is also currently developing a number of projects as a producer, so his schedule is very busy for the foreseeable future.
Evil Dead Rise will hit theaters on April 21.
Are you happy to hear that the animated Evil Dead series is still happening? Let us know in the comment section below!
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