Scheduled for release in 2026, the next Evil Dead movie is a direct continuation of the story from Evil Dead Rise (2023). Evil Dead Burn will also connect to the future of the franchise, serving as a prequel to the planned 2028 film, Evil Dead Wrath. Though perhaps not as refined as Evil Dead Rise, Evil Dead Burn is a fantastic movie that expands on the rich history of the Necronomicon and the Deadites.
The quality of an Evil Dead movie depends heavily on its Deadites – the possessed creatures that cause all the trouble. Luckily, Evil Dead Burn has a lot of them! This new movie features over half a dozen Deadites, some of whom even appeared in Evil Dead Rise. Here’s a rundown of each Deadite in Evil Dead Burn, looking at how powerful they are and how effectively they cause mayhem.
Joseph Was a Deadite for All of 30 Seconds
Joseph Price, played by Hunter Doohan, is a central member of the Price family who are terrorized and taken over by evil forces called Deadites throughout the movie. His brother, Will, is the first in the family to be possessed. Joseph is largely portrayed as a coward: he doesn’t intervene when Will attacks his wife, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), and later deserts his girlfriend when she’s attacked by a Deadite, prioritizing his own safety.
Interestingly, Joseph is among the last of the Price family members to become a Deadite, and he’s only shown as one for a very short time – just over a minute. When possessed, Joseph tries to upset Alice by bringing up painful memories of her past abuse, but he doesn’t actually fight her or cause much harm. Ironically, Joseph actually suffered more injuries before he was possessed. However, he is the first Deadite to be killed by the Kandarian Dagger.
Susan Deserves Credit for Willingly Becoming a Deadite
Susan, played by Tandi Wright, is the mother of Joseph and Will and deeply believes in the importance of family above all else. We learn she sacrificed her own dreams to care for her ailing mother, and feels her identity is tied to her family. Despite knowing her son Will was hurting Alice, she didn’t intervene. Throughout most of the film, Susan remains a good person, but she’s ultimately devastated as she’s forced to watch the Deadites destroy everything she loves.
Susan is so determined to reunite with her family that she lets Edgar, her husband who’s already possessed by an evil force, possess her too. While most people would do anything to avoid becoming a ‘Deadite’ – essentially a puppet of this dark power – Susan welcomes the change. She’s remarkable for willingly accepting possession, but like Joseph, she wasn’t particularly effective as a Deadite. However, she did have one memorable moment where she pulled Alice onto the ceiling using a shower curtain, nearly suffocating her.
Polly Adds Much-Needed Comedic Relief
Polly, played by Maude Davey, is Susan’s mother and the grandmother of Will and Joseph. Sadly, Polly has dementia and often doesn’t recognize people, including Joseph’s girlfriend, Thya – whom she mistakenly accuses of stealing from her. She also forgets important events like Will’s funeral. Despite the sadness caused by her condition, Polly provides moments of humor both before and after being possessed by a Deadite.
Before becoming a Deadite, Polly desperately tries to bribe Thya into leaving her family unharmed. Once infected, she becomes completely erratic, even self-amputating her leg to break free from restraints. Polly is key in turning Susan into a Deadite and remarkably survives the ordeal as the sole remaining family member. A post-credits scene shows her crawling down the road, now with working legs, actively hunting for new victims – confirming she escaped the deadly night.
Thya Stole the Show Before Her Second Brutal Death
Thya (played by Luciane Buchanan) stands out as one of the scariest Deadites in the film. The marketing for Evil Dead Burn heavily features her, including memorable scenes like drinking melted wax and having her fingers torn off. Her death – where a car headrest is violently forced through her face – is truly disturbing and likely to stay with viewers long after they’ve seen the movie. Remarkably, much of…
At the family reunion, Thya becomes the second victim possessed by the evil Deadites. After being killed by Edgar, she enters the house where the Price family is hiding and relentlessly torments them. She reveals damaging family secrets, deceives Polly with a false story about stolen items, and horrifically injures herself to shock and traumatize everyone present. Thya embodies the classic characteristics of a Deadite more than any other character in the film. In a particularly gruesome scene, she slowly forces her boyfriend, Joseph, onto knives inside a dishwasher. Even her death as a Deadite is far more brutal than when she was alive, solidifying her status as a truly memorable villain.
Jessica Is the Deadite That Connects Evil Dead Rise & Evil Dead Burn
Anna-Maree Thomas played Jessica in Evil Dead Rise, and she’s best known for her dramatic entrance – rising out of a lake with the film’s title appearing alongside her. After the climactic battle with the Abomination, Jessica became infected and slowly turned into a Deadite. She discovered the gruesome aftermath – a blood-covered parking garage in her apartment building – and by the time she reached her cabin for a weekend trip, the transformation was complete.
Jessica returns in Evil Dead Burn, portrayed by Greta van den Brink. The film opens with her repeating her actions from Evil Dead Rise – killing two men fishing at the same lake. She’s drawn into the story by the Kandarian Dagger, a powerful artifact capable of defeating Deadites. To find and destroy the dagger, Jessica seeks out Will Price, a descendant of the last person known to possess it. She deliberately causes Will to crash his car, using the opportunity to infect him and spread the Deadite curse to his entire family, establishing herself as a particularly cunning and effective Deadite throughout the movie.
Interestingly, the story avoided the typical scene of someone reading from the Necronomicon to summon the Deadites. Because the Deadites were already unleashed in Evil Dead Rise, another summoning wasn’t necessary. This choice worked well, making Evil Dead Burn feel like a natural continuation of the previous film while still delivering the intense, gory horror fans expect, thanks to Jessica’s connection to the events.
Edgar & His Deadite Dog Effortlessly Dispatched His Entire Family
Though Will was the first to be seemingly infected, Edgar Price is truly the one who brings about his family’s destruction. Desperate to say goodbye to his son, Edgar goes to Will’s coffin and discovers he may still be alive. He breaks it open to save him, but in doing so, is touched by Will’s burning, infected remains and becomes infected himself. Edgar’s slow and terrifying transformation into a Deadite keeps viewers constantly anxious and on edge.
Edgar quickly spreads a terrifying infection to his entire family, and it all starts with an outburst at dinner. He flies into a rage, yelling at everyone before shockingly killing his dog – who then rises as another infected creature. Now incredibly strong and with his loyal, monstrous canine companion by his side, Edgar easily kills and infects Thya, takes the whole house hostage, and even manipulates his wife into joining the undead. It was crucial that Edgar was the first to become infected; otherwise, his family might have escaped this horrible fate.
Will Is the Final Boss of Evil Dead Burn
The movie starts by establishing Will (played by George Pullar) as a violent and abusive husband to Alice. This background is crucial because it shapes his actions even after he transforms into a Deadite. He’s the first family member to become infected, but remarkably, he doesn’t immediately act out; instead, he pretends to be dead and has himself buried. Will patiently waits for everyone to gather at his funeral, using the opportunity to infect Edgar.
Deadite Will doesn’t reappear until the very end of the film. His wife, Alice, is the last one still alive, and he’s determined to kill her and destroy the dagger – something the other Deadites couldn’t do. Will is constantly on fire, appearing to burn endlessly as he moves. He relentlessly pursues Alice, displaying incredible strength and leaving destruction behind him. He’s even able to create illusions, tricking Alice into seeing things that aren’t real. Though Alice ultimately destroys Will with the dagger, his manipulative tactics almost succeed.
Ellie Makes a Triumphant Return After Her Death in Evil Dead Rise
In Evil Dead Rise, Ellie (played by Alyssa Sutherland) was the first character possessed by the evil forces unleashed in the film. Her story is particularly heartbreaking – she’s a devoted single mother who desperately wants to protect her children, but tragically becomes the one chasing them after being taken over by the Deadites. Ultimately, Ellie merges with her two possessed kids and transforms into the Abomination, a terrifyingly powerful creature formed from multiple Deadites combined.
As a huge Evil Dead fan, I honestly thought we’d seen the last of Ellie. I mean, that wood chipper scene in Evil Dead Rise seemed pretty definitive! So you can imagine my surprise when she popped up in the post-credits scene of Evil Dead Burn. It was creepy – seeing her reflection first, then actually stepping out of the mirror and back into our world. That alone tells me she’s not just any Deadite; she’s clearly the strongest one we’ve seen so far, and I have a feeling she’s going to be a major player in whatever happens in Evil Dead Wrath.
2026-07-25 05:09