A clever Easter egg in Sam Raimi’s horror/comedy classic Evil Dead 2 hints at a possible in-universe connection to A Nightmare on Elm Street. While 1981’s original Evil Dead film was basically a straight-forward horror film, 1987 sequel Evil Dead 2 succeeded in making its franchise truly iconic by embracing its potential for absurdity. Whereas Bruce Campbell’s Ash was basically a reluctant protagonist in the first film, Evil Dead 2 began Ash’s metamorphosis into a quip-dropping demon-slayer that despite not being nearly as smart as he thinks he is, usually manages to come out on top. 1992’s Army of Darkness completed the transformation.
Evil Dead 2 is also famous for its amount of hilarious physical comedy, with Campbell allowed to truly cut loose, such as when he engages in a fight with his own possessed hand. Additionally, Evil Dead 2 majorly ups the already high gore level of The Evil Dead, but does it in a way that’s so over the top it becomes the height of black humor. Evil Dead 2 is truly groovy.
While Ash had his hands full with Kandarian demons in Evil Dead 2, a blink and you’ll miss it Easter egg hinted at the presence in the Evil Dead universe of another sinister force: none other than A Nightmare on Elm Street dream stalker Freddy Krueger.
Evil Dead 2 Includes A Nightmare on Elm Street Easter Egg
In Evil Dead 2, Ash heads into the cabin’s tool shed, and while he’s there, Freddy’s signature knife glove can be seen hanging above the inside of the door. It’s onscreen very briefly, but there’s no mistaking what it is. From a narrative standpoint, this would suggest that a still living Freddy had been at the cabin at one point, and possibly used it as a murder location. If that happened, it would most likely have occurred after the disappearance of the Knowbys, who owned the cabin. The inclusion of Freddy’s glove may well have just been a return shout out after Wes Craven included footage from The Evil Dead in A Nightmare on Elm Street, but from a fan standpoint it’s a fascinating crossover to consider.
Evil Dead and Freddy Did Eventually Crossover
Making things more interesting is the fact that the Evil Dead and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises did eventually crossover, albeit in comic form. After the success of 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, the possibility was discussed of adding Ash to the mix for a Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash sequel. When that project didn’t work out, the story was instead adapted into a comic book. So the idea of Ash and Freddy existing in the same universe isn’t really that outlandish. Additionally, it was established in Freddy’s Dead that Freddy received his powers from a group of dream demons. Perhaps if Freddy had indeed been present at the cabin, whatever evil lurked there left him alone due to the foreknowledge that he had his own nefarious purpose coming later in life. As one final cherry on top of the idea that Freddy exists within the Evil Dead 2 world, his glove can also be seen hanging around in the recent Ash vs. Evil Dead TV show.
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