Summary

  • Halloween director John Carpenter explains why Michael Myers can never die, calling him an "all-purpose character" like Godzilla.
  • Carpenter suggests that while the original Halloween offers a grounded depiction of Michael Myers, films like Halloween Kills show him as being able to kill all the time.
  • Despite the conclusion of the trilogy with Halloween Ends, it's likely that Michael Myers will return in some form, as the Halloween franchise plans to continue and potentially expand with a television show and cinematic universe.

Halloween director John Carpenter explains why Michael Myers can never really die, calling him an "all-purpose character." The legendary director helmed the original Halloween movie from 1978, which introduced audiences to the masked slasher named Michael Myers, though Carpenter didn't return to direct any of the countless sequels, remakes, or reboots. With 2022's Halloween Ends, David Gordon Green's trilogy came to a definitive, yet divisive conclusion by killing off Michael Myers.

During a recent panel at New York Comic Con, Carpenter explained why Michael Myers can never truly die. The original Halloween director called Michael an "all-purpose monster," comparing him to Godzilla. If audiences want a more grounded depiction of Michael Myers, there's the original Halloween, but there are also examples like 2021's Halloween Kills in which he's "able to kill all the time," Carpenter explains. Read his full comments below:

Well, I’ll tell you what, he’s an all-purpose character. If want the first movie, you’ve got that. If you want him to be able to kill all the time, you’ve got that. The only other all-purpose monster is Godzilla.

​​​​​​What Happens To Michael Myers After Halloween Ends?

Michael Myers in Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends was cleverly marketed as the end of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode's (Jamie Lee Curtis) story, but not the end of the franchise altogether. Though Michael Myers was fed through a mulching machine during the Halloween Ends ending, he can never be truly killed off, as Carpenter explains, and it's likely he will return in the future in some form. In fact, Green has even acknowledged the possibility of the Halloween franchise continuing by creating a "new Laurie" who is connected to the established mythology.

After a heated bidding war, Miramax recently acquired the rights to the Halloween franchise with the intent of developing a television show and reportedly a potential cinematic universe. Whatever form the franchise takes, it's likely the story will be rebooted in some way with Michael Myers, one of the most iconic slasher characters ever created, returning as the main antagonist. Michael Myers, like Godzilla, is an "all-purpose monster," as Carpenter explains, making him a flexible and enduring icon who can never be truly killed off.