Candyman Proves Robert Englund Can Still Return As Freddy Krueger

2021’s Candyman legacy sequel featured a brief appearance from original Candyman Tony Todd, and it was a cameo that proved Robert Englund’s Nightmare On Elm Street villain Freddy Krueger could still come back. It has been over a decade since viewers last saw Englund’s iconic Freddy Krueger grace cinema screens in 2003’s Freddy Vs Jason. Since then, the slasher villain was been relegated to a goofy cameo in The Goldbergs, whose family-friendly humor more than neutered the once-terrifying villain’s appeal.

However, much like 2018’s successful Halloween reboot proved a Nightmare On Elm Street revival could work, 2021’s Candyman remake also showed that Englund could still crop up in the role. Initially beginning as more of a retread of the original Candyman, 2021’s reboot gradually reveals itself to be a continuation of the original movie. Like 2018’s Halloween, the sequel wisely ignores the Candyman follow-ups to simplify its story.

Thanks to the movie establishing some connective tissue between 1992’s Candyman and the reboot, the original Candyman star Tony Todd could make a brief cameo during the 2021 movie’s closing scene. Candyman proved the 68-year-old could still scare viewers while also showing that the original star approved of the new iteration. Much of what made 2010’s Nightmare On Elm Street remake a disaster was its attempts to replace Englund’s take on the villain, so getting a new actor to take over the role but still bringing back Englund’s Freddy for a cameo proves the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise could be revived gracefully.

Like Candyman, Freddy is an explicitly supernatural villain who is not tied to the limitations of mortal antagonists. As such, the Nightmare On Elm Street series could have Englund’s killer possess a new body or take on a new form (both of which the franchise has done before) to get around Englund aging out of the role, while still having the star cameo to ease the transition for viewers. While the Nightmare On Elm Street movies never explained Freddy’s obsession with entering the real world during earlier installments, now a remake could use Freddy’s desire to re-enter reality as a reason for him to gain a new face or a different actor in the process.

Strictly speaking, Englund’s Krueger does not need to be replaced, as the star is still very much working and able to take on the part again if the opportunity arose. However, asking the 74’year-old to commit to another sequel could be a big demand, but reinventing the killer’s appearance while keeping his original actor in play could be the best of both worlds for creators. Englund’s upcoming Stranger Things season 4 role shows the actor is still happy to work, while Candyman’s revival proves that he doesn’t have to be front and center to still keep his immortal Nightmare On Elm Street villain alive.

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Cathal Gunning
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Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies and TV online since 2020. His obsessions include The Simpsons, Stephen King, the Scream series, and the horror genre in general. He has spent more time thinking about Stranger Things than the writers of Stranger Things, and he has never seen a Star War.

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