Now that Scream's 2022 reboot proved her Scream 4 character is still alive, Hayden Panettiere's Kirby needs to return to the series in Scream 6.

Warning: Spoilers for Scream 2022.

Since Scream 2022 confirmed that she survived the events of Scream 4, the stage is now perfectly set for Hayden Panettiere’s much-loved Scream franchise character Kirby Reed to return in Scream 6. Much like the original teen slasher movie, 2022’s Scream reboot successfully upended the expectations that most viewers had for the horror franchise revival. Not only did Matthew Lillard’s surviving character Stu not appear in Scream 2022, but Skeet Ulrich’s very much dead Billy Loomis did crop up in the reboot to the shock of many moviegoers.

2022’s Scream reboot continued to subvert fan expectations by killing off series regular Dewey in a truly tragic and brutal death scene and offing Scream 4’s returning supporting star Judy Hicks shortly beforehand. However, amidst all this death and destruction, Scream 2022 also offered some good news for fans who hoped to see some likable characters make it out of the franchise alive. After Scream 4 never confirmed her death, Scream’s 2022 reboot canonically confirmed that Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby is still alive in the series.

Panettiere’s fan-adored horror nerd Kirby didn’t die onscreen in Wes Craven’s final movie Scream 4, and Craven himself expressed an interest in bringing her back for a potential sequel before his passing. Not only was her Scream 2022 return a fitting tribute to the genre legend, but in practical terms, it also confirmed that at least someone outside of the central trio has survived the movies until this point. Along with the return of Judy Hicks, this served to make the universe of the Scream series more believable and made the returning characters seem less bulletproof as a result. This made it doubly effective when shortly after Kirby’s survival was confirmed, both Hicks and one of the original Scream series stars Dewey were brutally killed off. Now that Scream 2022 has confirmed her survival, Panettiere’s Kirby needs to make a comeback in Scream 6.

How Scream 2022 Confirmed Kirby’s Survival

Midway through the action of Scream 2022, Sam’s boyfriend Richie can be seen watching a Youtube video wherein the hosts are complaining about the latest Stab franchise installment. In the corner of the screen, savvy viewers can see a Youtube thumbnail that refers to Kirby as a “Woodsboro survivor.” Instead of a cameo from her actor, the decision to label Kirby a “Woodsboro survivor” in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment was a smart way to confirm she is alive without necessitating an onscreen appearance. The moment made it possible for Panettiere to return while also ensuring that, if she doesn’t, fans can rest assured she made it through the events of Scream 4 despite the earlier movie's ambiguity.

Why Scream 2022 Didn’t Need Kirby

While Panettiere would always be a welcome addition to the franchise’s ensemble, the impressively strong sequel Scream 2022 managed her absence admirably. Randy’s niece Mindy Meeks-Martin filled in the movie’s requisite horror geek role well, and Deputy Hicks provided some continuity between Scream 4 and Scream 2022. This meant that the return of Kirby’s character would have been largely superfluous (particularly if she wasn’t killed off, leaving her with little to do) since her most important functions would have been keeping the canon of Scream 4 relevant and providing sardonic commentary on the meta structure of Scream 2022's re-quel, jobs that were already taken up by Hicks and Mindy respectively. Like Stu, Kirby could be effectively utilized in a further sequel but (again, like Lillard’s villain), she would have been an unnecessary addition to the lean action of Scream 2022.

Why Kirby Needs To Return For Scream 6

The news that Sidney is in a happy relationship and has small children with Scream 3’s Mark Kincaid could make the final girl’s death a bit too devastating for many of those invested in the Scream franchise, but bringing her back for another adventure could leave audiences unable to believe that any one woman could survive so much trauma. As a result of this paradox, the Scream series could continue without Sidney by bringing back Gale and Kirby as legacy characters, with the duo serving as twin final girls in Scream 6 and providing a connection to the earlier movies in the franchise. This would also make it far harder to work out which character was more likely to bite the bullet since, while it’s very unlikely that Sidney will be killed off, Gale Weathers has franchise seniority whereas Kirby has youth on her side, meaning either star may be the one to make it out of Scream 6 alive.

Alternatively, if Scream 2022 ending the franchise’s obsession with Sidney doesn’t take, bringing back Gale, Sidney, and Kirby together would leave viewers unsure of which of the two less central characters was next on the chopping block. Particularly since Scream 2022 killed off both Dewey and Deputy Hicks, this would mean that both original Scream trilogy survivors and Scream 4 characters are now fair game for Scream 6’s killer. This fear of a killer taking down fan-favorites like Kirby and Gale could make the sequel a tense, suspenseful franchise addition, and would distract from how impervious Sidney has become. In contrast, if the sequel’s filmmakers truly wanted to upset the applecart, the question of whether Kirby or Gale would be the one to die this time around could lure fans into a false sense of security before Scream 6 killed off Sidney herself instead.

Why Kirby Might Not Return For Scream 6

While Kirby’s appearance in Scream 6 is almost as perfectly set up as Matthew Lillard's Stu Macher return, that alone does not guarantee that the character will crop up in the franchise again. The fact that Panettiere has essentially retired from acting in recent years didn’t bode well for the odds of a cameo and there is no word of her intention to return to acting any time soon. However, given the ten-year wait between Scream 3 and Scream 4 (and the further decade between Scream 4 and Scream 2022), it is fair to say that it might be a while before the actor would be asked to return anyway, meaning Panettiere has plenty of time for a change of heart. It is tough to tell whether the actor would be interested in reprising her role, but the fact that the former Scream series star received a special thanks from the creators of Scream 2022 bodes well for those hoping to see the triumphant return of Scream 4’s Kirby in Scream 6.

More: How The Scream Movies Avoided Nightmare On Elm Street’s Sequel Disaster