Michael Myers Needs To Die In Halloween Ends, And Here's Why

The Halloween movies have had numerous "conclusions" over the years. The supposed final movie has been released more than once, only for a new continuation to retcon the ending sometime later. Because of this, the series went stale in the eyes of many and confusing with a variety of different timelines. In 2018 filmmaker David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, who most audiences likely know from their collaboration on Pineapple Express, took on the Halloween franchise and attempted to strip the franchise down to the bare basics, making a sequel to the original 1978 film and tossing all the sequels aside.

Ignoring the sequels, 2018's Halloween laid out a straight path that was then built upon in Halloween Kills and will end with the fittingly titled Halloween Ends set to be released on October 14, 2022, in theaters and streaming on Peacock. This finale to the trilogy is claiming that it will be the end of the story that started in 1978. In order for this to be true, Michael Myers needs to permanently die. In this timeline at least.

Update October 2022: With the release of Halloween Ends fast approaching, this article has been updated with more information regarding the upcoming sequel as well as how more recent horror films may impact the upcoming Michael Myers story.

To call Michael Myers an icon is an understatement. No horror fan wants to see him bite the dust, but in order for the franchise to receive any sort of fresh start, he needs to. The only death Michael received was in 1981's Halloween II when he supposedly burned to death. Even then, the death was taken back seven years later, and ever since he's never truly died. He may have been defeated, but there was always some line about there not being a body or a cheap jump scare to show he could come back should the studio wish.

This element of the killer never being able to die not only made the series predictable, but it removed much of the suspense because audiences knew The Shape would make it out in the end. 2018's Halloween seemed to indicate that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) had finally killed Michael Myers, but the film's incredible box office returns meant that the series would return and with it, Halloween Ends. Michael needs to unquestionably die in the film, and here is why.

End of an Era and New Beginnings

Universal Pictures/Total Film

Any horror fan knows that a franchise will never truly die. Even when main actors move on or, in the case of Friday the 13th, a messy lawsuit prevents any new material, a new entry in a series is inevitable even if there are decades in between. Regardless of what happens in Halloween Ends, fans can rest assured that the Halloween series will return in one way or another sometime down the road; as it is one of the most iconic horror franchises in the world.

However, Michael dying could allow for the next entry in the franchise to take on a new direction. Both Halloween 4: The Curse of Michael Myers and Rob Zombie's 2009 Halloween II both end with what appears to be Michael Myers killed but the idea of him living on in the form of a new killer. Neither idea has been followed up, as the series always returns to Michael Myers, but this might be the perfect time to give some new blood into the series. 2018's Halloween seemed to imply something similar, as the final shot showed Laurie's granddaughter Alyson holding a bloody knife, leaving an ominous ending for the franchise, but Halloween Kills does not acknowledge that.

Related:Halloween Movies in Order: How to Watch Chronologically and by Release Date

The most obvious reason Michael Myers might die is that this is the last Halloween film set to be produced by Blumhouse Pictures. This will mark the end of their contract on the franchise, meaning any follow-up sequels will be made without their involvement. This could give the producers the perfect chance to finally kill Michael Myers, as this timeline would remain untouched and the future Halloween films, be it a reboot or a new sequel will not be connected to this part of the franchise.

Time to Revisit an Old Halloween Idea

Universal Pictures

Another possible new direction is one that has been tried before. In 1982, the third Halloween film famously took place outside the continuity of the previous two and didn't even feature Michael Myers. In fact, the movie Halloween actually exists as a movie in this universe, as the trailer is shown more than once throughout the film. Halloween III: The Season of the Witch was viciously panned, and hated due to the fact Myers wasn't in it. In recent years, however, it has developed a cult following with some even calling it a daring entry and one of the best. Halloween III is a classic horror film in its own right, so maybe it is time to revive the idea of a Myers-less Halloween.

There are several ways this can be done. The Silver Shamrock masks from Halloween III are shown in both the 2018 film and Halloween Kills, so perhaps the follow-up post-Ends could be a direct sequel to Season of the Witch, allowing the movie to officially exist in the same world as Michael Myers. A sequel to this film has been discussed before, with producer Malek Akkad being open to the idea.

Perhaps the best way for the series to continue without Myers is for John Carpenter to continue his anthology plan. The reason Michael was not present in the third film was because Carpenter actually intended for Halloween, the movies, to be an anthology. Starting with Season of the Witch, each film would have its own self-contained story revolving around the Halloween season. For decades, fans have wondered what the stand-alone films would have been, and killing Michael Myers would be the perfect segue for this idea to come to fruition.

Michael Myers Ends

Universal Pictures

As long as there is money to be made, it is unlikely that there will be a time when studios won't at least gamble on a new Halloween movie sometime down the road. However, unlikely as it may be, this could be the perfect time to permanently end the story of Michael Myers and see to it this next movie is truly the end of Halloween. As mentioned before, horror legends never truly die, as fans know there will be a new movie eventually. There isn't a big-name horror icon that has earned an actually closed ending, and maybe it is about time.

Outside of sending Michael to space or some other zany location as in Jason X, there is little that can be done to the character without completely reinventing him, and fans wouldn't approve of that. The most surprising thing that can happen is if Michael dies, and along with him the franchise, at least as we know it. Halloween is one of the scariest and most important horror movies of all time, so nobody wants this to happen and odds are it won't. However, it would be fitting that the series which introduced so many horror tropes and kick-started the slasher craze would be the first to actually end.

As mentioned before, Halloween Ends is the last Halloween film Blumhouse Pictures will have any involvement in, so they can afford to take a big leap like killing Michael Myers off. Even if it isn't permanent and the character returns in another attempted reboot of the franchise, the character can still die in this continuity of the story, and the creative team can give the four films that make up this timeline an overall satisfying arc.

One Monster Rests So New Legends May Rise

Universal Pictures

Fans are fully expecting Michael to either survive or the film to be open-ended regarding his fate. Killing Michael off without a shadow of a doubt will surprise fans, but also signify it is time to let the icon rest. While John Carpenter does not see it as the final film, it probably should be. For as much as audiences like seeing the return of classic monsters, in many cases, they are products of their times. They cannot scare audiences the exact same way they used to.

MovieWeb Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Immerse yourself in the cinematic universe with the latest movie news, reviews, and exclusive content from MovieWeb. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

While it seems like some franchises can and will go on forever, sometimes they will rest and fade out of popularity. Original horror films are booming, and recent hits like Barbarian, Smile, The Black Phone, X, and more have shown there is a new appetite for horror movies. In the same way that Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man made way for Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, and Michael Myers, so to have those slashers ushered in new horror franchises like The Purge, Orphan, and The Strangers.

Related: Top 10 Horror Movies of 2021

Killing Michael Myers not only might help the franchise after the mixed reactions to Halloween Kills but also draw audiences out to see Halloween Ends in a way that might not have before. Killing off a true icon in one big grand final film worked for No Time To Die and Logan, and even if those characters return in different incarnations, they still died in one version of the story which means something. This will divert expectations not only for any future Halloween movies but the horror genre as a whole.

Maybe nobody wants to live in a world where legends such as Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, or Freddy Krueger will never return, but for the genre to truly enter a new and fresh era, this more than likely needs to happen. There are decades worth of entertainment featuring these characters, so killing them off once and for all won't exactly wipe them from public memory. As long as horror fans remain as loyal as they always have, these characters will live on even without new films. Movies such as Halloween and Scream changed the face of horror, so it is time for new movies to do the same, and usher in a new era of horror legends.