Bruce Campbell Says He’s Retired As Ash, And Now We’re Sad
Bruce Campbellis hanging up his chainsaw for good. According to the actor, he’s retiring from playingAsh vsEvil Dead’s Ash Williams – a character he’s played on and off again for almost 40 years.
When word broke recently that Starz wascancellingAsh vs Evil Dead, fans were understandably crestfallen, but still somewhat hopeful. In the past, star Bruce Campbell had said that ifAsh vs Evil Deadwere to be cancelled, there might always be a possibility for anotherEvil Deadfilm. “We’re going to see what the TV gods have in store for us,” Campbell originally said. “We’re ready either way. If they take us off the air, we can think about another movie. And if they don’t, we can just keep plugging away.”
Alas, Campbell has now taken a boomstick to any hope of a newEvil Deadfilm. After fans launched an online petition hoping to get Netflix to saveAsh vs Evil Dead, the actorrespondedand announced that he was officially “retired as Ash.”
Big props to fans for the effort, but I’m retired as Ash.#timetofrysomeotherfishhttps://t.co/Di1aeBV0dl
— Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce)July 24, 2025
This is understandably upsetting to anyone who was holding onto hope that Ash would live to fight another day, but I’d say Campbell has earned the right to call it quits. He’s lived with Ash for a large part of his career, and in many ways, the part will always define him. But if he wants to move on and try other things, we should all respect that and wish him well.
While Campbell had hinted at anotherEvil Deadmovie in the past, he also seemed to indicate that his days of playing Ash were pretty much over and done with after Starz cancelledAsh vs Evil Dead.
Ash Vs Evil Dead has been the ride of a lifetime. Ash Williams was the role of a lifetime.
I will always be grateful to Starz, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and our tireless fans for the opportunity to revisit the franchise that launched our careers. Thank you! 😎pic.twitter.com/oNmTopS1Ab
— Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce)July 01, 2025
“Ash has left the building” and “Ash Williamswasthe role of a lifetime” (emphasis onwas) both indicate we’ve seen the last of new Ash adventures in any sort of form.
And that’s okay. We’ll always have the first threeEvil Deadfilms –Evil Dead,Evil Dead IIandArmy of Darkness. And we have three full seasons ofAsh vs Evil Deadas well. That a hell of a lot of Ash adventures to hold onto. Sure, it’s sad that there will (probably) be no more new Ash/Evil Deadadventures, but theEvil Deadlegacy will live on.
“I know where these movies stand,” Campbell previously said in regards to the lasting effect of theEvil Deadfranchise. “They’re notStar Wars. They were never designed to be an 18-part trilogy with a grand story. This was a lucky little movie that did okay. Our second movie bombed, so we went, ‘Well, then let’s make a sequel to the first one.’ We all kept calling back to theEvil Deadmovies to save us, over the years, so I’ll always be eternally grateful. It got me into the business.”
