When I first heard that Fede Alvarez would be remaking Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead, I was hit with mixed emotions, because no one was going to replace Bruce Campbell as Ashley “Ash” Williams. Forever cementing himself in cult horror history, Campbell is still most well-known for his leading role in Raimi’s original Evil Dead franchise, having last played the boomstick-wielding character in Army of Darkness. Thankfully, Alvarez’s “remake” went a much different route, rebooting the franchise with a brand new lead character.
If you stayed after the credits though, you’ll know Bruce showed up for a very brief cameo, sending fanboys and fangirls alike into a tizzy. Raimi and Alvarez then cleared up all the commotion by announcing that not only would there be a sequel to Alvarez’s new franchise entry, but Raimi himself would move ahead with Army Of Darkness 2 – leading to yet another film where Mia would meet Ash.
While there hasn’t really been any confirmation yet, only speculation and hype, Bruce Campbell finally confirmed that we’ll definitely be seeing Ash hit the big screen again, fighting evil Necronomicon forces and revving his chainsaw once more.
While speaking at the Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, he stated the following:
“The last one was 22 years ago. I just haven’t been racing to do it. Sam Raimi is just a little bit busy making the biggest movies in Hollywood. I use to be busy. Now I’m not. That’s why I’m here.
“Ash would have to stop occasionally from chasing some deadite to catch his breath. Maybe we could do that, I guess. That would be exciting. Fight in a walker. That would be all right. Hit them with my cane. Fake them out, have a fake heart attack, distract a zombie. I like it… [Seriously] All right, sir, the answer is yes.”
With Bruce ready to step back into Ash’s blood-covered shoes, the question now becomes “when” and “how.” There hasn’t been an official announcement on when we can expect Army Of Darkness 2, as Raimi and Campbell have only announced that they’re ready. This is spectacular news of course, because fans can now find comfort in knowing Ash will absolutely be back, but we’re going to have to play the waiting game unfortunately while Raimi comes up with a script and figures out how to get this project into production.
We also have no plot details because of the lack of script, but it’s not ridiculous to think Ash and Mia could meet. Army Of Darkness introduces elements of time travel, and the Necronomicon could have some more hidden tricks to bring about this meet up, but with an older Ash, one has to wonder what he’s been doing all this time. I’m sure Raimi will have a brilliant explanation, but it’ll be interesting to see if Mia and Ash will be fighting side by side – hey, they could be enemies, who knows!
This whole Evil Dead franchise rejuvenation is a dream come true for this horror fan, as Alvarez’s film exceeded expectations and provides a very exciting world for Ash to get involved in. Of course, Ash first needs to appear in Army Of Darkness 2, and Bruce’s confirmation brings us one step closer to that happening. Hail to the king, baby.
What do you think – will Army Of Darkness 2 be a proper return to form for Bruce Campbell’s iconic character Ash?