Folding the perpetually silent Michael Myers has been Halloween's focal point from its beginnings, the series was originally intended as a horror anthology with each entry focused on a different story. This led to 1982's Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. However, it underperformed by Halloween standards garnering a lackluster general reception, with Michael Myers back to his killing ways again in 1985's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.
Over time, Season of the Witch has gradually become more warmly received, with a cult following coming to appreciate its departure into a supernatural and sci-fi blend with its story of the Silver Shamrock masks. Meanwhile, the Michael Myers-centered Halloween movies have been alternately rebooted and retconned over and over, most recently in Blumhouse's Halloween films that kicked off with 2018's Halloween (and even featured the Halloween Ends, Michael Myers fans know that it never does, and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch could give the franchise a new lifeline by being canonized as a true entry into the Halloween movies Michael occupies.
For as much of a slasher movie legend as he is, even Michael Myers can only take Halloween so far with his annual Haddonfield slaughter sprees. Season of the Witch shows both a completely different set of stories Halloween could follow, but also demonstrates Halloween's original anthology idea could still be enacted decades later. The only real question is whether audiences would be ready to follow the Halloween franchise sans Michael Myers.
Can The Halloween Franchise Continue Without Michael Myers?
With the debatably human or supernatural Michael Myers being such an intrinsic character to the Halloween franchise, doing a Halloween movie without him would ittedly be a challenge the series has ironically never faced since Season of the Witch. With that said, Halloween Ends is rather brazenly declaring itself a franchise finale in its title. Canonizing Season of the Witch and using it as the basis for future Halloween movies could be how Halloween Ends accomplishes the boast of its title.
Original Halloween director John Carpenter himself does not envision the franchise truly concluding with Halloween Ends, Michael Myers's mask is a Silver Shamrock mask, Halloween Ends could declare the canonicity of Season of the Witch and thus chart a new path for the franchise by confirming that. Either using that or a different method, overtly signaling the canon status of Season of the Witch beyond the mere inclusion of Silver Shamrock masks as Easter eggs can open the door to a new future for Halloween.
Halloween has long been a staple of the spookiest season of the year. Still, after over four decades of Michael Myers slashing his way through Haddonfield, the time has arguably come for Halloween to either truly end or transform into something new. For Halloween's future, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch leading the way is a win-win for both it and the concluding story of Halloween Ends.
