Joel McHale is Mr. Sidney Prescott in Scream 7

The Scream franchise is sort of rebuilding itself again after a not-so-amicable parting with Melissa Barrera and the exit of Jenna Ortega, the on-screen sister duo that helped revitalize the series. After those high-profile exits, suddenly money freed up in the budget for the high-profile re-entry of Neve Campbell, the series’ longtime final girl. And now we have the final girl’s forever guy: Joel McHale, who will play Sidney’s husband Mark Evans in Scream 7, Deadline reports. 

Fans who hoped Sidney’s husband Mark might be Scream 3‘s Detective Mark Kincaid (Patrick Dempsey) may be disappointed by this news. Nevertheless, Scream 7 is shaping up to be a family affair. Isabel May, of Taylor Sheridan’s 1883, joined the cast late last year in the role of Sidney’s daughter. Other newcomers to the cast include Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, and Anna Camp. Joining Campbell in the returning cast are Mason Gooding (who joined the rebooted franchise alongside Barrera and Ortega) and Courteney Cox as fan favorite Gale Weathers. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream (as well as the second and fourth films) is taking his first turn behind the camera with this installment, and recently slipped that the movie had begun filming in Atlanta.  

McHale is of course better known for comedy, currently starring in Animal Control and leading the six seasons and an upcoming movie’s worth of Community. However, he does have some blood-and-guts experience in films like Assassination Nation and It’s A Wonderful Knife. He has also joined the cast of the upcoming season of Showtime’s Yellowjackets. (Between Yellowjackets‘ McHale and 1883‘s May, you can tell there was some interest in keeping Sidney’s family in the Paramount family.)  Plus, he’s very scary as Carmy’s haunting abusive former boss on The Bear. Scream 7 is slated to premiere in theaters February 27, 2026.