Patrick Dempsey won't play Sidney Prescott's husband in Scream 7

Patrick Dempsey will not portray the husband of Sidney Prescott, the Scream franchise's main character, in the next film.

The Grey's Anatomy actor played Detective Mark Kincaid in 2000's Scream 3, and in 2022's Scream, Neve Campbell's character Sidney referred to her off-screen husband as "Mark", leading many to believe she was married to Kincaid.

However, Deadline revealed on Thursday that Sidney's husband is actually a man named Mark Evans and he will be portrayed by Community star Joel McHale in the seventh film.

Dempsey had even teased his potential return last year, saying on the Today show, "I'm waiting on the script. There has been a conversation about it. I haven't seen anything yet. So, we'll see what happens."

When asked more directly if he was open to returning, he simply joked, "I mean, you know, it's always good to have a job."

According to Entertainment Weekly, Dempsey will not be in the movie at all, which suggests that he passed on the project or negotiations didn't come together.

In addition to Campbell and McHale, the cast for Scream 7 includes returning stars Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown as well as franchise newcomers Mckenna Grace, Celeste O'Connor and Anna Camp.

Scream 7 began filming in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this month, with original Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson serving as director.

The horror movie is due to be released in cinemas on 27 February 2026.