After Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 Shocking Ending, Matthew Lillard’s Cryptic Sequel Tease Has Me All In [THS Interview]

Warning: spoilers for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 have broken the perimeter lock. You’ve been warned.

The 2025 box office saw Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s impressive opening weekend logging yet another success for the books. Universal and Blumhouse’s follow-up to the 2023 sleeper hit video game adaptation proved that the fans are still very excited to see where this saga goes next on the big screen. After having witnessed it myself, I’m not only ready for a potential three-quel, but it has me looking back at my interview with Matthew Lillard with even more excitement. As it turns out, he dropped the perfectly cryptic tease to set things up, even with some very carefully chosen pre-release statements.

Matthew Lillard’s Five Nights At Freddy’s 3 Tease Highlights Why Skeet Ulrich Was Cast

Before we jump too deeply into spoiler territory, we’re going to get into the subtle tease that Mr. Lillard dropped during our chat. Asking the Scream legend about his initial reaction to the casting of fellow OG killer Skeet Ulrich, he shared his initial delight, as well as what it means for the future: 

Early on Scott [Cawthon] called me and said, ‘What do you think about Skeet Ulrich for this part?’ And I was like, ‘I couldn’t think of a dude that better represents and holds [our standards].’ … He’s a great actor, and a part came along that really made sense for our two characters. And if we’re lucky to do a third film, we’ll end up interacting potentially, at some point. 

That final piece is the latest remark that Matthew Lillard has put into the world when it comes to a potential Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. But to talk about that, we need to dig into what actually happened in the ending to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. More specifically its three major twists that set up our next slice of scares. So if you want to stay in safety until your showtime has arrived, check out our Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 review! 

Vanessa Shelly Isn’t Feeling Quite Herself Anymore 

If Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) had been a little less harsh in his reaction to further twists in the family history of Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), he could have prevented her eventual possession. Learning that she also has a brother Michael (Freddy Carter), and that he’s looking to continue their family’s legacy of bloodshed via family entertainment, Mike wants nothing more to do with her. 

In that moment of weakness, Vanessa became possessed by the spirit of childhood best friend turned victim Charlotte Emily (Audrey Lynn Marie). That to me sounds like Charlotte is about to bluff Michael into thinking she’s on board in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, only to have her ultimate revenge. Which leads to the other Afton family member that’s on deck for a revival.

William Afton Will Return In Five Nights At Freddy’s 3

Mr. Schmidt, batting a thousand once more, inadvertently releases the soul of William Afton (Matthew Lillard) at the end of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. By summoning a last minute assist from the friendly spirits that occupied the animatronics in the previous story, William’s soul now has a path to come back to the land of the living.

The vessel is an obvious choice, and one we see in the mid-credits tease for Five Nights at Freddy’s 3. With the Yellow Rabbit suit lying in wait at the other pizzeria from the 2023 picture, a spark of life is seen in the eyes. Turns out, Matthew Lillard’s character always does come back; and this time it sounds like he’s going to be visiting someone very special. 

Henry Emily Is About To Become A Lot More Important In Five Nights At Freddy’s 3

The finale to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s end credits reveal that concerned father Henry Emily (Skeet Ulrich) has more of a role than we thought. Surprise (unless you’re a die hard FNAF lore fiend) he was a business partner and co-designer of the Freddy Fazbear empire! The two split ways after Vanessa’s death, and he swore to fight every turn to revive the brand. 

In his final recorded message, another piece of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’s well played fan service, Henry warns that The Marionette (aka Charlotte) is still out there. It sounds like Mike is about to get nabbed, as well as Henry – who we hear in the midst of a break-in of some sort.

Which brings me to one more comment that Matthew Lillard has made about this whole scenario. You see, during his appearance at NYCC’s BlumFest 2025, the man himself promised this vague scenario, right from the Empire Stage: 

It is up to you to get the third film. But here’s the best part – does anybody know what happens in the third game? Mano a mano. 

So if there is a Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, you can bet that William Afton and Henry Emily are going to be squaring off. Which is an on-screen pairing horror fans have probably been waiting for since Billy Loomis and Stu Macher died back in 1996; albeit this time Skeet Ulrich seems to be on the side of good. Also, if my previous interview with Matthew Lillard over at CinemaBlend is any indication, the possibility for more Scream movies popping up via muscle memory stand only to increase.

The way that fans have been flocking to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if we get a sequel announcement in the weeks to come. Of course, there’s a chance we may have to wait until 2026, seeing as Universal will probably want to steer clear of the Avatar: Fire and Ash promo machine that’s inching ever closer. 

However, if you’ve already left the pizzeria and are looking for some new thrills, you’re in luck! December 2025’s THS Cinema Forecast is available to help point you in the direction of the next entertaining option on the docket. So when you look at the theater employees and say, “I always come back,” you’ll actually mean it!

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