The Core Four lives! Mason Gooding is set to reprise his role of Chad Meeks-Martin in the upcoming Scream 7.

After the exit of both Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, it was uncertain if any members of the “core four” would be returning for the next Scream sequel. However, Variety has reported that Mason Gooding will be returning as Chad Meeks-Martin for Scream 7. As for Jasmin Savoy Brown, who plays Chad’s sister Mindy, she hasn’t officially signed on yet.

Chad found himself near death in the last two Scream movies but managed to survive each encounter. Will his luck (if you want to call it that) continue with Scream 7?

The upcoming sequel will see the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. After playing the role in the first five Scream movies, she was expected to return for the sixth until the studio low-balled her. “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream,” Campbell said. “I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It’s been a very difficult decision to move on.” Courteney Cox is also expected to return as Gale Weathers, but she hasn’t officially signed on yet. It’s also possible that Patrick Dempsey might be returning as Mark Kincaid (now married to Sidney) from Scream 3. It was announced that Isabel May (Yellowstone: 1883) had joined the cast as Sidney’s teenage daughter. Celeste O’Connor (Madame Web), Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), and Sam Rechner (The Fabelmans) have also signed on.

The original plan for Scream 7 would have seen Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega returning as Sam and Tara Carpenter, but Spyglass Media fired Barrera after a few pro-Palestinian social media posts that they deemed anti-Semitic. The very next day, it was revealed that Ortega had exited the project as well. It was initially reported that this was due to scheduling conflicts with the second season of Wednesday, but it later emerged that she had wanted a substantial salary increase, which Spyglass refused, so she walked.

That wasn’t the end of the drama either. Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) was set to direct the movie, but he also departed, calling it a “dream job that turned into a nightmare.” The studio then turned to Kevin Williamson, screenwriter of the original Scream movie, to direct. Upon the announcement, Neve Campbell said, “While I’ve been so incredibly lucky to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented Matt and Tyler team, I’ve dreamt for many years of how amazing it would be to make one of these movies with Kevin Williamson at the helm. And now it’s happening, Kevin Williamson is going to direct Scream 7! This was his baby and it’s his brilliant mind that dreamt up this world. Kevin is not just an inspiration as an artist but has been a dear friend for many years.“ Scream 7 is slated for a February 27, 2026 release.

Are you happy to see Mason Gooding returning for Scream 7, or would you rather the sequel concentrate on new characters?