Bruce Campbell Says He’s Finished Playing Ash Williams

Refusing to provide Ash’s voice shuts the clearest path for an animated return, forcing producers to consider recasting or synthetic voice methods.

Overview

In mid‑August 2026 Campbell told ScreenRant that “Ash is done” and that he will not perform the character in animation or any other format.
Campbell explicitly said producers could hire a voice double or use modern voice‑recreation technology to reproduce his voice if the franchise brings Ash back without him.
His public withdrawal closes a long‑discussed option for an animated Ash project that Campbell and the Raimi brothers had been shaping since 2023 and earlier.
Campbell’s hands‑off role has grown for recent entries, with him taking executive‑producer credits and a cameo while focusing on other projects and his health.
The Evil Dead franchise is continuing with new films and a 2028 prequel that center on other characters, leaving the animated project's future uncertain and likely to move forward without Campbell if it proceeds.