As we alluded to when reporting on the second trailer for The Exorcist: Believer, there is no sign of actress Linda Blair reprising her role as Regan MacNeil.
Despite reports circulating throughout the spring and summer that Blair had returned to her iconic role, we’ve seen no sign of her in the trailers. Furthermore, writer-director David Gordon Green has artfully sidestepped all direct questions as to if Blair has any scenes in the legacy sequel.
Whilst Green concedes Blair was involved in the production, he has only referred to the actress as a “technical advisor,” and refused to be drawn on whether Blair filmed during her “few days” on set.
In terms of what we’ve seen from the trailers, we know Regan is at least a presence in Believer. In the first trailer, the character Angela is seen scratching Regan’s name on a window ledge, whilst the possessed Catherine taunts Chris MacNeil, aping Regan’s cries of pain.
With the drop of the second trailer in September, hope that Blair would appear diminished, as the clip seemed to confirm a horrible fate for the character. As Chris MacNeil stares down the demon, she is taunted with “are you looking for Regan? She burns in hell!”
So… has Regan MacNeil been killed off-screen? Although this would certainly disappoint longtime fans, the release of two more short clips seemingly confirms this.
In the first, we see Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil speaking with Leslie Odom Jr’s Victor Fielding. In the scene’s opening lines, Burstyn laments that “every day I wake up wondering where my daughter is… Praying I’ll see her sweet face again one of these days.”
Next, we witness Victor taking Chris to the hospital to see his daughter Angela. As the possessed teen pounces to the window and startles the former actress, we see Regan’s name scratched just out of sight. Angela then whispers “she’s waiting for you…”
All of this seems to hint that Blair’s character is no longer amongst the living, and awaits her mother in the afterlife… Does that also spell doom for Chris MacNeil? Will The Exorcist: Believer be her final stand?
Whilst nothing is crystal clear yet, fans longing for a return from Linda Blair should probably lower their hopes, as Regan doesn’t seem to be around. However, this could all just be very clever marketing and the filmmakers could surprise us all.
We’ll find out in less that one week’s time! If you need something to tide you over, you can check out the clips below:
