Friday the 13th: WWE Star Adam Scherr Hints He Could Be the Next Jason Voorhees
No horror genre icon embodies longevity quite like Jason Voorhees. For more than forty years, the machete-wielding killer from Friday the 13th has carved out a legacy across twelve films, a crossover with A Nightmare on Elm Street, comics, video games, and mountains of merchandise. But it has been more than fifteen years since Jason last terrorized theaters in the 2009 reboot, leaving fans wondering when — or if — the franchise would rise again.
With Peacock and A24 developing the much-anticipated prequel series Crystal Lake, the masked slasher has re-entered the cultural conversation. Now, thanks to comments made during Fantastic Fest, fans have another reason to believe Jason’s big-screen return may not be far off.
Adam Scherr’s Friday the 13th Tease
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff recently sat down with filmmaker Jason Lei Howden and stars Kimberly Crossman and Adam Scherr to promote their film Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon, which premiered at Fantastic Fest. Scherr, who made his name in WWE under the moniker Braun Strowman, has been branching out into acting roles. When asked which horror franchise he’d most like to join, Scherr wasted no time:
“Oh, Friday the 13th. Jason,” Scherr said, adding that he would “gladly shave this beard off to play that character.”
More intriguingly, Scherr hinted that there may already be movement behind the scenes:
“There may be some talks about it with people that I know and my agency. If we could ever get everybody to get back on the same page and allow the things to work, I might be the next Voorhees.”
While nothing is official, the idea of a hulking wrestler-turned-actor stepping into Jason’s size-14 boots makes perfect sense. Scherr’s imposing frame and physical presence could easily match the terror once brought to life by Kane Hodder, Derek Mears, and other stuntmen who donned the mask over the decades.
A Legacy of Slashing
First appearing in Sean S. Cunningham’s 1980 Friday the 13th, Jason began life as the drowned son of Pamela Voorhees before transforming into the hockey-masked killer fans know today. Across sequels like Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter, Part VI: Jason Lives, and Jason X, he became an unstoppable horror icon.
The franchise has been dormant since 2009 due to legal battles over rights between Cunningham and screenwriter Victor Miller. That standoff left fans with no new films, though the 2017 Friday the 13th: The Game briefly filled the void.
Crystal Lake and the Future of Jason
In 2022, A24 and Peacock announced Crystal Lake, a prequel series from Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller. The show promises to explore the origins of Jason’s story and the doomed camp where it all began.
With that project in motion, Scherr’s comments suggest that additional Friday the 13th ventures — perhaps even a film — are closer to reality than fans might expect.
Will Scherr Wear the Mask?
Scherr’s enthusiasm, combined with his size and screen presence, has already sparked discussion among horror fans online. Could the former WWE giant become the next definitive Jason Voorhees?
While fans will have to wait for confirmation, one thing is certain: Jason Voorhees is never truly gone. Whether on streaming, in theaters, or perhaps both, the legend of Camp Crystal Lake continues to stir — and Adam Scherr may be poised to carry the machete into a new era.
