Bruce Campbell has confirmed he will no longer play Ash Williams, the character he has portrayed across the Evil Dead franchise since 1981, saying "Ash is done" in an interview with Screen Rant. He ruled out returning even for voice work in animated projects, suggesting future productions would need to find a soundalike, marking a definitive end to his four-decade association with the role.

Campbell explained he was largely uninvolved in the recent film Evil Dead Burn because he chose to focus on directing his own film, Ernie and Emma, and indicated he will similarly have limited involvement in the upcoming Evil Dead Wrath beyond an executive producer credit. He framed the decision as a straightforward choice between working on someone else's film abroad or his own at home, noting the Evil Dead films had become optional for him. Campbell, a longtime collaborator of director Sam Raimi, also revealed earlier this year that he has been diagnosed with a "treatable" but not "curable" cancer, which may have influenced his decision to prioritise other projects.