ENTERTAINMENTJoel McHale Exposes Behind-the-Scenes 'Scream 7' Casting Twist Involving Patrick Dempsey
Joel McHale confirmed he stepped into a ‘Scream 7’ role originally intended for Patrick Dempsey.
June 22 2026, Published 4:14 p.m. ET
Joel McHale has confirmed what many Scream 7 fans had suspected for months: he ended up taking a role originally meant for Patrick Dempsey.
“Patrick Dempsey played the husband in [Scream 3], and he was supposed to play this one," McHale said on Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” podcast. “And I don’t know how it went down. I don’t know if it was schedule or money.”
Joel McHale revealed Patrick Dempsey was initially set to appear in ‘Scream 7.’
“Patrick, please forgive me if I’m f---ing this up. But I get there, and his nameplate is on my chair. I tried to keep it, they wouldn’t let me,” he added.
For years, fans assumed Sidney Prescott’s unseen husband was Mark Kincaid, the detective played by Dempsey in 2000’s Scream 3. That speculation only intensified after Sidney referenced her husband Mark in 2022’s Scream.
"I'm waiting on the script," Dempsey said in 2024 of returning for Scream 7. "There has been a conversation about it. I haven't seen anything, so we'll see what happens."'
Joel McHale’s Arrival Changed Sidney Prescott’s Family Story
Joel McHale reshaped Sidney Prescott’s family dynamic in ‘Scream 7.’
Instead of bringing back Kincaid, the film introduced McHale as Mark Evans, a police chief in Sidney’s new hometown of Pine Grove. The character is married to Sidney and shares a teenage daughter, Tatum, played by Isabel May, placing the Prescott family at the center of the latest Ghostface nightmare.
“They were already shooting, and I was thrilled,” McHale recalled of receiving the offer. “I couldn't believe I was there. I would have paid for this.... They offered it, and they needed me there the next day.”
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Joel McHale’s addition gave Sidney Prescott’s story a different family dynamic in ‘Scream 7.’
McHale also shared another clue that suggested he had inherited Dempsey’s spot. According to the actor, he was given an expensive watch tied to a sponsorship arrangement that had apparently been set up before his arrival. Combined with the nameplate story, it painted a pretty clear picture of a last-minute casting switch behind the scenes.
The 'Scream' Franchise is Already Looking Beyond the Seventh Installment
Joel McHale’s ‘Scream 7’ role could have implications beyond a single movie.
In a February 2026 interview with Variety, franchise creator and first-time Scream director Kevin Williamson said there are already “a lot of ideas” for an eighth movie.
“If this film is successful and there’s an audience for it, you know we’ll make it because 1, I think the studio would like to make it, and 2, we the people who make these movies would love to make it because…they’re a blast to make and they’re so much fun,” Williamson revealed.
With Sidney back, familiar faces returning, and new characters surviving the latest Ghostface attack, the door appears wide open for another chapter.
And after benefiting from one of the franchise’s most unexpected casting twists, McHale had a simple message for the actor he effectively replaced. “Thank you, Patrick.”
