Is Bruce Campbell Playing Ash? Bruce Campbell Hidden Evil Dead Rise Cameo

Is Bruce Campbell playing ash? The Evil Dead franchise stands out from other horror movies in that its most iconic character is a hero. Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell, is a classic hero who often finds himself reluctantly dragged into situations. The humor that comes from his bumbling heroics combined with the movie's horror elements creates a unique blend that wouldn't be the same without him.

And yet, the franchise has not only stepped away from him in the past but managed to thrive in the process, as 2013's soft reboot Evil Dead demonstrated. Evil Dead Rise looks to repeat the formula, and while Campbell has a hand in the movie, Ash is apparently retired for good. It's a gamble, but it might turn out to be the right one.

#1. What Is Evil Dead Rise About?

Source: IMDb

Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell are putting their theory to the test with Evil Dead Rise, which removes the cabin and focuses on Beth, a young woman who joins her estranged sister Ellie and Ellie's three kids in their cramped home in Los Angeles. When they discover the dreaded Necronomicon in the basement of their apartment building, demonic souls begin possessing mortals again. Ash, the protagonist in the original films, is absent from this installment, and it is yet to be seen if the franchise can still be successful without him.

#2. Evil Dead Rise Is Missing Ash Williams but Still Has Bruce Campbell

Source: Movie Web

Ash was the final survivor of the original Evil Dead back in 1981. Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn took his gonzo energy to new heights as he revisited the haunted cabin of the original, only to lose his hand and get sent back in time. Campbell reprised the role in the third film, Army of Darkness, then starred in Ash vs. Evil Dead, which ran for three seasons on Starz. It ended in 2018 with Ash awakening in a post-apocalyptic future and setting out to slay more Deadites in a tricked-out version of his trusty Oldsmobile.

Source: Collider

In a 2021 interview with Collider, Campbell announced that he's officially retired from the role. His appearance in the Evil Dead remake was severely limited: simply a post-credits Easter egg of him looking at the camera and uttering his signature line, "Groovy!" The rest of the film never so much as mentions him, focusing on an entirely new group of characters who arrive at the cabin and discover the book. It features a new protagonist, and while the plot parallels that of the original, it diverges in several ways, making it more sequel than reboot. The strongest entails its heroine, who comes to the cabin with her friends in an effort to kick her drug addiction. It's a far cry from the fun-loving college students from the earlier Evil Dead films.

Evil Dead Rises looks to vary the trick with a Los Angeles setting and an entirely new cast of characters. Campbell is slated to provide some minor vocal performances in the film, giving him a presence and providing a creative thread connecting it to the earlier movies. But Ash himself won't be a part of it in any capacity. He remains where fans left him -- driving off into the sunset of a distant future.

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#3. Bruce Campbell Recorded Sound Effects for 'Evil Dead Rise'

Source: TV Line

That’s not the last time you’ll hear Campbell in Evil Dead Rise, although it’s almost impossible to find out by yourself where the shows up next. In an interview for Digital Spy, Cronin revealed Campbell also helped record some of the sound effects used in the movie. As the filmmaker explains: “There's another Bruce moment in the movie as well. He did some Foley work for me as well. There's a scene around an eye where there's some munching and Bruce created that sound by eating an apple furiously for me.”

Cronin refers to a scene that happens after Danny inadvertently releases the Kandarian demons, turning his mother, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), into the terrifying Mommy Deadite. As a Deadite, Ellie is motivated by the need to spread chaos and destruction. So, it doesn’t take long for her to murder all her neighbors in the most gnarly ways. One of her victims is Gabriel (Jayden Daniels), who has his left eye chewed out of his face by Ellie. It’s unnerving to see Ellie bite Gabriel’s face and hear the nasty sounds her mouth makes while chomping on his flesh. But now, the scene becomes even more interesting, as we’ll always imagine Campbell eating an apple.Evil Dead Rise is currently raising the dead in theaters.

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