“Evil Dead” series star Bruce Campbell offered an explanation to fans on why he doesn’t plan to return to the horror franchise in the future, saying he has “tapped out” after leading the Starz series “Ash vs. Evil Dead.”
“It’s hard to communicate everything with everyone,” Campbell wrote in a Thursday post on X. “Mostly, the reasons were ability and interest, in equal measure. I didn’t want Ash to be compromised by declining skills and as a borderline Geezer, my interests have diverged. I’ll always love ‘Evil Dead’ to death – literally.”
Campbell, now 68 years old, has been the face of “Evil Dead” since leading the 1981 original “The Evil Dead,” along with its two direct sequels “Evil Dead II” (1987) and “Army of Darkness” (1992). His performance as Ash Williams, a slapstick slayer of the evil “Deadites,” launched his decades-long acting career and has made him an enduring favorite among horror fans.
The actor reprised his role for “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” re-teaming with director Sam Raimi for the three-season continuation of the character’s undead escapades. The series ran from 2015 to 2018 before being canceled.
Despite Campbell’s exit from appearing on-screen in “Evil Dead” entries, the actor has continued as a franchise steward over the years, serving as an executive producer on the two most recent entries, “Evil Dead Rise” (2023) and “Evil Dead Burn” (2026). Campbell appeared for a Q&A at the SXSW premiere of “Rise.”
In March, Campbell publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with an incurable but “treatable” cancer, telling fans that, “I am a tough old son-of-a-bitch and I have great support, so I expect to be around awhile.”
The “Evil Dead” franchise is set to continue with “Evil Dead Wrath,” currently slated to premiere April 7, 2028 from New Line Cinema.
