Devon Sawa hasn't completely shut the door on a potential return to the "Final Destination" universe. As the inaugural film celebrates its silver jubilee, the actor who portrayed Alex Browning, the fate-crossed teenager who narrowly escaped death but found it doggedly pursuing him and his fellow survivors until their grim fates, spoke to PEOPLE about his latest flick, "Heart Eyes," and the enduring legacy of the "Final Destination" franchise.
Last witnessed by fans in a nostalgic cameo in "Final Destination 5" (2011), Alex was actually revealed to have passed away sometime between the events of the first and second films by his former lover, Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), in "Final Destination 2" (2003). Despite his character's demise, the 46-year-old Sawa expresses openness to rejoining the "Final Destination" saga in some form, stating, "If that opportunity ever arose, I'd definitely be back."
Horror aficionados are well-aware that a character's death (or presumed demise) isn't a death sentence for their on-screen presence. Take, for instance, the original co-villain of "Scream," Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), who later reappeared in hallucinations, or legacy cast members Matthew Lillard and David Arquette, who have been confirmed to reprise their roles in the forthcoming "Scream 7."
Similarly, Sawa is no stranger to being resurrected from his cinematic demises, having hilariously returned, albeit as different characters, across all three seasons of the Syfy/USA Network series "Chucky," which aired from 2021 until its cancellation in 2024.
"Being part of 'Chucky,' 'Final Destination,' 'Idle Hands,' and all these projects is what I love doing and watching. So, I jump at every chance to be involved," the horror veteran shares with PEOPLE.
Sawa also heaps praise on his "Final Destination" co-star Tony Todd, the iconic actor renowned for his chilling roles, including in "Candyman" (1992), who passed away in November 2024 at 69. Remembering him as "cool" and "a great guy," Sawa recounts, "A few years back, we randomly ended up on the same flight. We snapped a photo and thought, 'Wow, Tony Todd and me on a plane? What are the odds?' " – a nod to the franchise's opener featuring a plane crash that sets off Death's chain of terror.
The synopsis for the latest installment in the franchise, "Final Destination: Bloodlines," out May 16, teases that it "transports audiences back to the genesis of Death's perverse sense of justice." The logline hints, "Tormented by violent recurring nightmares, college student Stefanie returns home to uncover the one person who might halt the cycle and spare her family from their inevitable, gruesome fate."
While Sawa doesn't feature in "Bloodlines," which marks the horror saga's first release in nearly 14 years, he hears the film is "phenomenal." Touching upon his own potential future role, he says, "Perhaps we'll revisit 'Final Destination' one day, but you can never tell."
"Heart Eyes" is now available digitally.
