Tobin Bell Gives Hope To Saw Fans About The Future Of The Franchise
Jigsaw AKA John Kramer (Tobin Bell) from the Saw franchise ranks right up there with guys like Jason Voorhees, Fredddy Krueger, and Michael Myers in the pantheon of horror villains. For all the incredible art-house horror made over the last decade, there just aren't many villains who have Jigsaw's level of potency.
"Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve life." That's the root of what drives John Kramer to be the killer that he is. Kramer became Jigsaw as the result of a confluence of tragedies. He lost his unborn son, his marriage fell apart, and by the time the series begins he is dying from metastatic colon cancer. In a strange way, Jigsaw is almost pitiable, but he's also sadistically brilliant and that duality is ultimately what makes him such a fascinating beast.
With all that said, there's a new Saw movie coming in 2021 thanks to Chris Rock called Spiral: From the Book of Saw. As far as we know, Tobin Bell is not appearing in that movie. However, in a recent interview, Bell gave Saw fans hope that he may yet return.
In an interview with Comicbook.com about his latest turn in the horror movie The Call, Bell was asked about his future as it pertains to the world of Saw. To the glee of horror fans everywhere, his answer came well short of closing that particular spring-loaded door.
What would bring Tobin Bell back to Saw?
"It's about the writing, if the writing is great," Kramer said of the chances he'll reprise Jigsaw. "John Kramer is a King Lear-sized character, in my view, there's a huge range to him. He's interested in a multiplicity of things, from theology to philosophy to music to art, you name it. It all comes down to the writing. Actors are always looking for great scripts and great characters. I've had the wonderful opportunity of playing this guy in, let's see, one, two, three, four, five ... eight films. Having an opportunity to develop him and to develop the people he cares about in those films, that's been great. I can't, frankly, prophesize about the future. You'll have to wait and see."
That last sentence says a lot. "You'll have to wait and see" is not the kind of thing an actor says if they're completely done with a role. In fact, "you'll have to wait and see" is generally the kind of thing that actors only tend to say when there is something to see — like Bell playing Jigsaw again.
For the record, as far as we know John Kramer is dead. In his final canonical appearance, we see Jigsaw's body undergoing an autopsy. That sounds pretty final, but there's plenty of precedent for horror villains to rise from the dead. Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Freddy Krueger have all died, too, and on multiple occasions. Saw may technically be more grounded in reality than those paranormal chillers, but prequels and surprise twists happen in horror franchises all the time.
It's also worth noting that Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the upcoming Spiral, was also the director on Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV before he parted with the series in 2007. Despite a thirteen-year absence from the franchise, Bousman is back. If he can return, there's absolutely nothing stopping Tobin Bell — as long as the story excites him.