Patrick Dempsey Reveals Why He Won’t Be Returning for ‘Scream 7’

Big news for horror lovers today—Patrick Dempsey won’t be back for ‘Scream 7’. The actor, famous for playing Detective Mark Kincaid in ‘Scream 3’, shared why he’s stepping away. It’s a mix of tough timing and real-life chaos that kept him from returning to the Ghostface universe.

Dempsey’s no stranger to the spotlight. He first joined the ‘Scream’ series back in 2000 with ‘Scream 3’, where he played a sharp detective helping Sidney Prescott, brought to life by Neve Campbell. Fans loved his chemistry with her, and many hoped he’d pop up again as Sidney’s husband, Mark. That idea got a boost in ‘Scream’ (2022) when Sidney mentioned being married to a guy named Mark. We all assumed it was Kincaid. But nope—‘Scream 7’ is going a different way, casting Joel McHale as a new Mark, a police chief named Mark Evans.

So why isn’t Dempsey coming back? He told Variety it just didn’t work out. Life got in the way—wildfires in Los Angeles, where he lives in Malibu, threw everything off. Add in a packed schedule, and the pieces didn’t fall into place. It’s a bummer, especially since he’d hinted last year about talks to return. I was rooting for him to step back into Kincaid’s shoes, but sometimes things don’t line up.

‘Scream 7’ is still shaping up to be a wild ride. Neve Campbell is back as Sidney Prescott after skipping ‘Scream VI’ over a pay dispute. Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, the only actor to appear in every ‘Scream’ film so far. And here’s the kicker—some dead characters are making a comeback too. Matthew Lillard, who played Stu Macher in the original ‘Scream’, and Scott Foley, the killer Roman Bridger from ‘Scream 3’, are both in the mix. Even David Arquette’s Dewey Riley, killed off in ‘Scream’ (2022), is returning. How they’ll pull that off is anyone’s guess—flashbacks, maybe? The film’s keeping it hush-hush.

Dempsey’s absence stings a bit. His Kincaid survived ‘Scream 3’, unlike so many others in the franchise, and he brought a cool, calm vibe to the chaos. Outside of ‘Scream’, he’s best known as Dr. Derek Shepherd from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, where he spent over a decade charming viewers. Lately, he’s been busy with horror again, starring in ‘Thanksgiving’ and the upcoming ‘Dexter: Original Sin’. So, while he’s not dodging Ghostface this time, he’s still keeping us on edge elsewhere.

‘Scream 7’ hits theaters on February 27, 2026, with Kevin Williamson directing. He wrote the first ‘Scream’ back in 1996, so it’s a homecoming for him too. New faces like Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, and Mason Gooding are joining the cast, keeping the series fresh. I’m curious to see how it all plays out without Dempsey, but with so many familiar names, it’s bound to feel like a twisted family reunion.