Actor Robert Englund has been synonymous with the role of Freddy Krueger since he first played the part in 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. Sadly, Englund is no longer able to play the character given his age, and fans have consistently pondered who could pick up the mantle. After Jackie Earle Haley failed to carry the glove in 2010’s remake, Robert Englund has now suggested who should play Freddy Krueger next.
The franchise has been mostly dormant since the aforementioned 2010 remake hit theaters. However, with the recent release of the original seven movies in 4K Ultra HD resolution, the Elm Street franchise is once again a popular topic of conversation. Now, in a new interview, the legendary actor has shared his thoughts on the franchise’s future.
Here’s what Robert Englund had to say about the future of Freddy Krueger going forward via Bloody-Disgusting:
“I think, for the sake of the franchise, they need to find someone like a Doug Jones,” Englund began. He continued to discuss suggestions over the years that Kevin Bacon should play the role, though Englund notes that his time to play Freddy may have passed:
“Years ago, I heard they were considering Kevin Bacon for Freddy Krueger. Kevin’s in a couple of my favorite horror movies; Stir of Echoes I love, and Tremors obviously. I love Kevin as an actor,” Englund shared.
“He’s a true character actor, he just happens to be imprisoned in a leading man’s body, but Kevin is also very physical. I thought that was a great choice, but this was, like, five years ago. I know he’s got all these other projects now and he’s not getting any younger, so he probably wouldn’t be interested,” he added.
Robert Englund also adds that the next actor to play Freddy Krueger should probably be an unknown actor, and he even suggests how completely different they could take the role:
“I was trying to think of someone like that, if he were going to look for a name, like Kevin Bacon. But I think they probably should steer themselves to someone more unknown that doesn’t have to worry about following in my footsteps or anything else, just creating his own conception of the character.”
Englund continued:
“I think that it would be interesting to maybe redefine Freddy differently than my physicality and my size; a lumbering tall man, perhaps, or someone wiry and shorter than me, and maybe more cat-like or reptilian. It would be interesting. They gotta pick somebody that can go the distance.”
Of course, choosing the right actor to play Freddy is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. It’s taken more than a decade behind-the-scenes to dictate what should happen with the franchise. After all, the rightsholders don’t want a repeat of what happened with the 2010 remake. Without Robert Englund, or even the original film’s creator Wes Craven, it will certainly be a battle.
Fortunately, fans can now enjoy the original seven Elm Street movies in a better quality than ever before. While we wait to hear more about what will happen with Freddy Krueger and the Elm Street franchise in the future, fans can at least enjoy revisiting the classics starring Robert Englund.