Bruce Campbell Has A Surprising Role In Wednesday?

By Matthew Creith | Published

Bruce Campbell

The Netflix television series Wednesday has definitely become a hit for the subscription streaming platform since debuting during the Thanksgiving holiday week this year. The show stars Jenna Ortega as the titular daughter of the Addams family, a role that was previously portrayed by actor Christina Ricci back in the 1990s in two movies directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Now, there is a fan theory that has sprung up on Twitter that actor Bruce Campbell might be responsible for playing the disembodied hand Thing in the series, largely due to his Evil Dead character losing his hand in the film series.

Bruce Campbell portrays the character of Ash Williams in the Evil Dead franchise, initially directed by Sam Raimi back in the early 1980s, but many fans of that franchise believe Ash’s hand may have appeared in Wednesday. According to a report by Bleeding Cool, Campbell has poked fun at his newfound Twitter fame with fans reposting the meme of Thing on Wednesday’s shoulder, along with a side-by-side comparison with a picture of Ash without his hand. Campbell has responded to the meme by noting, “You said it, not me,” much to his fanbase’s utter delight.

Even though it unlikely that Bruce Campbell’s hand appears as the character of Thing in Netflix’s Wednesday, it seems that the actor is having a bit of fun with the fan theory as of this moment. Campbell will be executive producing 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, which will be the fifth installment in the Evil Dead franchise, but the actor might not be reprising his role of Ash Williams for this newest film. Originally supposed to debut direct to streaming via HBO Max, Evil Dead Rise will instead have a theatrical release on April 21, 2023 and will be directed by Irish helmer Lee Cronin.

bruce campbell
Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead The Series

While Bruce Campbell’s absence from Wednesday might sadden some of his loyal fanbase, the new television series has made some of its actors come into the spotlight as of late. Star Jenna Ortega was recently nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and the show itself was also nominated for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The show costars an ensemble group of actors that includes Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, Riki Lindhome, Hunter Doohan, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzmán.

The joke that Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams character might be in Wednesday is pretty fitting for an actor well-versed in many of the memes he has endured on social media for his recent acting appearances. A frequent collaborator of director Sam Raimi since their days working on The Evil Dead, Campbell most recently showed up during an end credits scene of Raimi’s addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Audiences can expect to see a different side to Bruce Campbell by watching his take on the holiday season this month in My Southern Family Christmas, which airs on the Hallmark Channel and costars Jaicy Elliot, Ryan Rottman, and The Cutting Edge actor Moira Kelly.