| “ | Think, okay? You know my story. I let you closer than anyone else. So you tell me. Who's the only other person I can be? | ” |
Marcus Elliot is the main protagonist of Scream: Resurrection. Throughout the third season's continuity, Marcus's tenacity and strength is tested by a Ghostface and their accomplice. Marcus would assume his late twin brother's, Deion Elliot's, identity after he was killed in an unfortunate accident as kids by Luther Thompson on Halloween 2010, which resulted in a mistaken case of identity switching, due to both twins switching Halloween costumes, which weighed on Marcus growing up, seeing as he would have to live Deion's life as "Marcus" was seemingly dead in the Father Death costume he had swapped with Deion's football gear. He evolves from a victim of childhood trauma and reserved silence in fear of seclusion, to a hardened, intelligent, and mature and hyper-vigilant young man.
In the third season on VH1 directed by show-runner Brett Matthews and executive produced by Queen Latifah, he is Ghostface's primary target. He is one of two twin sons to Sherry and Earl Elliot, and the younger half-brother of his half-brother Jamal "Jay" Elliot, alongside his twin, Deion, who had been born and raised in the town of College Park, Georgia, which southside borders on the city of Atlanta.
He proved himself to be a hero when he helped defeat the original Atlanta killers committing the eight year anniversary Ghostface spree based on an isolated incident, his mastermind older half-brother in his 20s and both party promoter and drug dealer Jamal Elliot (known by his alias Mr. Fade), and fellow high school friend, 17-year old Beth. He would still maintain the secret of his identity for the time being even after graduating high school and surviving the murders, who perhaps would be taunted later on (due to unanswered phone call from unknown seen in season finale) in life or whilst in college, having only revealed it to his girlfriend, Liv Reynolds (albeit the 2018 murders are in connection to the overall franchise, the only Ghostface murders not incorporated, thus far, into the Stab franchise).
He is portrayed by RJ Cyler.
Description
Deion Elliot (later revealed as Marcus Elliot), a local star running back in Atlanta whose tragic past comes back to haunt him at the worst time, threatening his hard-earned plans for his future — and the lives of his unlikely group of friends.
Background
Early Life
Marcus (and his twin, Deion) was born to Sherry and Earl Elliot in approximately either November-December 2002. He was a normal, teenage boy growing up in the poor urbanized town and projects of College Park, Georgia, but who went to high school inside the city of Atlanta. It's stated by Marcus himself that he was a troubled kid, alluding to his own out-casting, and troubles with mental health and socialization, as compared to his twin, Deion, who was the only person he got along with, besides his family.
Unknown to either him or his mother, Shelly, Marcus or twin were not the firstborn sons to their father, Earl. During his job in the past as a truck driver, he had an affair with an unnamed woman in Kentucky, who bore his son, Jamal Elliot, who would later go to live with them. Despite this, prior to his arrival, Marcus was raised with his twin brother, Deion growing up, who would be the only twin and the first to have met Jamal in secret in the summer of 2010, in Jamal's home in Kentucky, as Earl wanted Jamal and Deion to know they were blood brothers, unbeknownst to either Marcus, Sherry, or Jamal's birth mother, who was unaware of Earl even having a side family at all (possible Sherry and Marcus were told of Deion going to football camp to Kentucky by Earl).
Deion Elliot's Murder: Precursor to 2018 Murders (Halloween 2010)
On Halloween night, 2010, a then 8 year old Marcus dresses up in the infamous Father Death costume and goes trick or treating with his twin, Deion. Both split up as Marcus would then play a prank by "stabbing" her with his toy knife on her breast once he rang her doorbell and trick-or-treated at the house of 17-year old teenager, Becky (who unbeknownst to Marcus had been prank called just before he ran to her house supposedly by Ghostface asking the infamous question of "What's your favorite scary movie?"). After leaving Becky's house after scoring a TWINS chocolate bar, he runs in costume past kids on the sidewalks also in costumes, through an empty alleyway and calls for his twin and asks where he is out loud. He then sees a shadow pass by which startles him, seeing as he's in costume, before being creeped on by Tommy Jenkins in a clown-mask, who insults Marcus's costume and who tells him to give him his candy, who takes his back before Marcus then chases Tommy and yells for him to stop and give it back,
Off-screen, Tommy chucks Marcus's candy bag over the fence of the junkyard owned by Hook Man (real name and Vietnam War veteran, Luther Thompson), who creeps out Marcus by telling him of him having a hook for a hand and chopping kids up like him, all of which Marcus relays once Deion arrives, much to the disappointment of Tommy getting away with bullying Marcus and who promises to get his candy back. It's then shown that Deion as an idea to boost Marcus's confidence and morale, decides to switch costumes with his twin, much to Marcus's reluctance at the beginning but who does due to his twin's inspiring words. Unbeknownst to either, unfortunately, this would be both of their last time together and conversation before Deion, unaware of Marcus's panicked and late-flight or fight response, after finding his twin's candy, was attacked, who saw from just a few feet afar as Hook Man's hook lodged into his twin's forehead.
After running away to home to inform his parents, his distraught mother and father only recognized him as Deion, which internally led to Marcus having to also swap his identity, causing psychological implementations on Marcus. Following the tragedy, as well as his older half-brother and then-child Jamal moving in (unaware that the real Deion had met him but not Marcus) following the news of Earl's side family tragedy reaching Jamal's mother back in Kentucky and leading to her suicide. In the following years, Marcus would learn Deion's mannerisms and try to follow his life path accordingly, eventually taking his love of football and becoming a child athlete throughout both childhood and his adolescence, as well as him becoming well-known and popular, becoming a running back at Weaver High School during his freshman year in the summer of 2015.
Marcus as Deion would later be acquainted in high school with various of his classmates, including his implied neighbor and social activist, Kym, and her gay best friend, Manny; as well as with a Black Muslim geek/secret music aficionado, aspiring DJ, Amir Ayoub, and prior to his dropping out, former classmate Shane. Per the football team the Weaver Reapers, he would befriend his best friend on the team and secretly Manny's boyfriend, Hawkins, as well as make he and Hawkins make a frenemy in Avery Collins, the school's rich, white star quarterback, whom would all be guided under Coach Griffin. He would also be acquainted with the school goth of his grade and future accomplice and secret horror movie fanatic/sociopath, Beth.
The Atlanta Murders (2018): A Real-Life Horror Reboot
| “ | Don't worry. You ain't been the only one that's been keeping a secret. I know you're Marcus. On the inside. | ” |
–Jamal Elliot to Deion, revealing himself as Ghostface and the latter twins' identity, Endgame | ||
Tommy Jenkins's Murder (2018)
Almost 8 years since the events of Marcus's past involving his twin's unfortunate death at the hands of Hook Man in Halloween 2010, a now grown 16-17 year old Tommy Jenkins would become the first victim of the anniversary murders in Atlanta, Georgia, with Ghostface being used as the guise. In the mid morning hours of Monday, October 29th, 2018, working now as a Uber-driver for a company called Thumbs Up, a teenage Tommy (presumably dropped out or while out of school at Weaver, unstated) is summoned to an abandoned warehouse (presumably the Old Metro Station) in the day, to where a rider named "Marcus", posing in a wheelchair asks Tommy for help by trying to lure him inside the empty warehouse, which he seemingly agrees as Tommy heads inside, unaware it was a ploy to sneak inside his car with his back turned, as Tommy asks a homeless Black man on a mattress laying on top and pointing to the inside. After Tommy is scared after hearing his name being called by a raspy voice, he proceeds to head into his car and text and cancel on his rider, texting his final words, "Sorry, dude. Zero stars". After buckling his seat and heading to turn around, Ghostface officially appears and slits Tommy's throat, and proceeds to suffocate a dying Tommy with a convenience store bag, killing him and being the first target connected to Marcus's secret.
Marcus in Scream: Resurrection, age 16.
The Eight Year Anniversary (2018)
Closing in on the eight year anniversary, a 16 year old Marcus Elliot is first seen jogging to school in the morning, listening to music in the early morning hours of Monday, October 29th, 2018 on the streets of his neighborhood heading to Weaver High School, who misses the school bus and who is challenged by one of the bus riders and fellow classmate, Amir Ayoub. He jogs and arrives moments before the bus does too, much to Amir's dismay. Deion then gets in line amongst other classmates to enter school via his best friend on the football team, Hawkins, as they converse about Deion's star power and how it's messing up his chances with the ladies. Beth, the local goth chick, who is seen smoking on the side leaning against the wall, chimes into the conversation by saying how VIP treatment must be nice for Deion, with Hawkins then flirting with Beth. Deion offers her to cut in line to head into school. Beth tells him how telling her to cut is a bad idea. Deion and Hawkins then head in as students line up to walk through a metal detector, which rings off on Deion, as the school security guard and inspects his backpack, with Deion surprised to find a TWINS bar inside, with a note attached that reads "Trick or Treat".
Ghostface attacks Marcus for the first time.
This leads for Marcus as Deion to stay vigilant, who over the course of the day and later at night of October 29th, would be taunted following his surprise attack whilst in detention at Weaver High School after hours. While his football team the Reapers practiced that night, Marcus would be benched, as he sat and watched on the bleachers on the sidelines, where his mother Sherry, would arrive, and instead of disciplining him about getting detention as Marcus assumes, due to being under the impression and pressure that he's supposed to be a stellar athlete, comforts him instead and asks about his well-being and mental health in regards to the upcoming anniversary of his late twin's death and her other son. Marcus reassures his mother, and how he's focused on working hard in football, in order to be recognized by a college scout from San Diego State, who's going to give it to someone in their "right mind". Sherry is placated and reminds him of the "fancy doctor from Sandy Springs", referring to a therapist.
After, he would be working out alone at his school's weight room that night, who would then be placed on edge following his first phone call with Ghostface, who threatened him about revealing the truth of his secret identity, inferring they knew, and to harm his classmates and Liv, and urged him to arrive to a silent disco party at the Old Metro Station, thus luring him again, and to come quickly by taunting him of there's "going to be blood" on both of their hands. Despite chasing after and tackling who he thought was Ghostface after he looked up from the weight room where they stood, following having punched the mirror in the weight room, only it for to be Amir Ayoub, much to Marcus's frustration, and who asked him if it was him (who'd returned to the school for his equipment and was in costume, presumably due to not wanting to be caught sneaking), with Amir being cleared, due to denying and not being aware of what Marcus referred to. Afterwards, Marcus and Amir would both make their way to the party, as they cut in line, in order to get let in by Shane, a former classmate turned dropout drug dealer who had crashed detention when Marcus had been lured away by Ghostface earlier.
During the party, Marcus dons the costume given for entrance and access, who is then called by Ghostface, as Marcus unmasks himself, as the killer taunts Marcus when called, and then slashes Marcus's arm through the crowd of the party, unnoticed. Marcus is then instructed to dwell and reveal the death and events of his past, in the form of confessing his deepest, darkest secrets to them, threatening him. Marcus agrees, and who would then gather Manny, Beth, Liv, and Kym, with Amir not being present due to Marcus sending him home, due to Ghostface, threatening him by telling on his parents, due to Amir being a nerd. Following his confession, Marcus and the other would then witness to the death of his frenemy and 16 year old classmate Avery Collins, causing panic due to his public death, as the Deadfast Club and Shane stay behind to inspect it.
After reconvening at an unnamed tattoo parlor, of where Beth works, due to Shane ditching the Deadfast Club due to the incoming police to the warehouse, Marcus and the Deadfast Club would start trying to question as to who was targeting the group and why, in regards to Marcus having made his confession previously at the party, to Kym, Manny, Beth, and Liv, with the former pointing out how if in fact Marcus is the main target, then why is the killer targeting them, as Marcus is also stumped as he states he doesn't know as to why Ghostface would target all of them. While Manny believes what Marcus said of somebody simply playing a prank, despite it ending in Avery's death as Amir points out, with Manny claiming it went too far, it's in this very moment Marcus and the group each receive at the same time a text message in a chain link via sharing a photo of Avery's dead body back at the warehouse with a menacing text message threatening them, confirming the killer targeting the group, much to Marcus' contempt at the killer targeting them and his role as the main target involving his newfound friends. Marcus is also taken aback at Beth's statement of the Rules, specifically about horror abiding by a playbook, of which he didn't recognize until Beth stated so.
The next morning at school before their first class, Marcus and the Deadfast Club gather to discuss their plans, and also formulate, discussing Kym's attack by Ghostface.
Appearances (6/6)
Season 3: Resurrection (6/6)
Kill Count
The following is Marcus' Ghostface kill count:
|
Beth | Hit on the head and knocked down with a helmet with Liv Reynolds (later on shot 3 times in the chest by Kym) | Endgame |
Relationships
Family
Allies
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Enemies
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Quotes
| “ | Somebody is wearing this costume, threatening to kill all of us. | ” |
–Marcus, posing as Deion, talking to the rest of the his friends., Marcus, posing as Deion, talking to the rest of the his friends. | ||
Trivia
- He is the first male lead character in the Scream franchise, following Sidney Prescott in the films and Emma Duval in the first two seasons of the TV series; despite the gender swap, he shares similarities to both female characters in terms of his personality and survival instincts.
- He is one of the few Black characters to survive Ghostface in the franchise, joining the first being Joel from Scream 2, and also as him being second, with the third being Chad Meeks-Martin from Scream (2022).
- As of 2024, they’re the only 3 Black male characters to have survived.
- Marcus would survive Phil Stevens, Tyson Fox, and Anthony Perkins from the films; as well survive his twin Deion, Latavious, Amir Ayoub, Hook Man, and B. Westbrook in this season.
- He is a high school student at Weaver High School.
- He is a running back for the high school football team, turned quarterback.
- He is a member of The Deadfast Club
- He shares similarities to Andrew Clark from the 1985 American teen comedy for which the club he’s in is named after, The Breakfast Club.
- He is the first survivor out of four in Ghostface’s killing spree, the second being Kym, third being Liv, and fourth being Hawkins (although he was never attacked).
- He is a fierce rival of Avery Collins. This is perhaps a reference to Billy Loomis and Randy Meeks’ rivalry in the first Scream.
- Difference being Avery and Marcus were vying for Liv's affection, due to her being single, both being football players on their school's team, whereas Randy and Billy's was due to both being part of the same friend group at Woodsboro High, despite Randy actually vying for Sidney's affection, due to the nature of her relationship with Billy, who she was dating.
- Difference being in that Billy ended up being Ghostface, whereas Avery wasn't but was suspected of being by Marcus.
- He has a mother named Sherry Elliot (nee surname) and a father named Earl Elliot.
- He is the half brother of Jamal Elliot. The relationship between both is perhaps a reference/homage to the relationship between half siblings Sidney Prescott and Roman Bridger.
- He is the second character in the franchise to have his parents, the first being Emma Duval in Season 1 and 2. However, also like Emma, the father of Marcus isn’t as important as the motherly figure shown in the franchise.
- Emma and Marcus are then succeeded by Tara Carpenter in Scream (2022), despite both her parents being off-screen (seeing as Sidney's mother was murdered in the original film, while Samantha, despite sharing a mother (and Tara's own father being Sam's stepfather) with her own half-sister, Tara, is the sole legitimate child of her mother and Sidney's ex boyfriend and her mother's murderer, Billy Loomis).
- Marcus taking the alias of Deion is similar to Maureen Prescott’s double alias as Rina Reynolds as well as Sidney Prescott’s alias of Laura in Scream 3. However, he is the first and only character in the franchise thus far to take over someone else’s identity and the other’s identity being deceased, in fear and for their survival only.
- He is the romantic interest of Liv Reynolds and whose relationship can be seen as similar to Dewey-Gale relationship from the films, as well as to both Brooke-Gustavo relationship in Season 2.
- In a promotional teaser, Marcus is called "The Jock".
- While a coincidence, Marcus's surname and his family', is shared with that of female American rapper, Missy Elliot. This is a direct homage and reference to Scream 3, seeing as both are the third installments in the franchise, albiet in their respective media formats (film and TV) and how characters first names and surnames in the third film combined that of famous actors and actresses in Hollywood.
- Albeit, in the third season, it can refer to any famous Hollywood celebrity, athlete, or musician, whether or not an actor and/or actress.
- He would be succeeded by his girlfriend and her father, Tommy Jenkins, Avery Collins, Officer B. Westbrook, and Luther Thompson in this season.
- Albeit, in the third season, it can refer to any famous Hollywood celebrity, athlete, or musician, whether or not an actor and/or actress.
- Marcus being involved in sports/physical exercise is similar to many characters of the franchise such as Steven Orth, Derek, and Chad Meeks-Martin in the films; and to Will Belmont, Jake Fitzgerald, Gustavo Acosta, Avery Collins, and Hawkins in the TV show.
- Marcus being called and lured into a night party by Ghostface, in order for the killer to not hurt or kill his newfound friends, including his love interest, Liv, as part of The Deadfast Club, in exchange as to their safety, in the first episode is also a reference to Scream 3.
- As Sidney is also called and being lured out of safety at the Hollywood precinct of the LAPD after Ghostface called her and threatened to kill Gale-Dewey if she didn't arrive to the Milton Estate, where Roman's 30th birthday party was being held, the only difference being in the type of parties both protagonists were being lured to.
- Unlike Sidney hearing Gale and Dewey over the phone when Ghostface called her, Marcus didn't as his Ghostface only listed their names and hadn't kidnapped anyone.
- Marcus holding Jay at his death is an homage to Sidney holding both Roman Bridger at his death in Scream 3 as well as holding Kate Roberts during her death in Scream 4.
- The series finale shows Marcus, Liv, and Kym having survived and having finished off their Ghostface killer, Beth, and with each character standing over them after the killers are shot down. The trio of these characters is perhaps a reference to the OG trio which includes Sidney, Dewey Riley, and Gale Weathers from the film franchise. The ending is also similar to the endings of the four original Scream films (especially Scream 3):
- Scream: Sidney, Gale, and Randy all stand over Billy Loomis who comes in for one final scare, only to be shot down by Sidney, similar to how Marcus had pushed Beth down into the gymnasium floor from the roof after having gotten off-guard with Beth, and like how Kym had the final shot.
- Scream 2: Sidney, Gale, and Cotton Weary all reach the showdown with Sidney killing both Mrs. Loomis and Mickey Altieri, with the latter proceeding to have one final scare only to be shot down multiple times, much like how Kym did with Beth and Liv, like Gale, distracting the main killers long enough for Sidney to make her moves, just like how both Marcus and Kym did.
- Scream 3: Sidney, Gale, and now Dewey (seeing as he was injured in the first two) all work and finally take down Roman Bridger, with Dewey shooting at him until the head shot, just like how Kym did (with no head shot), and with Roman’s ambush with the ice pick similar to how Marcus pushes Beth off to the gym floor below, and Liv talking the killer down heavily, just like Gale did to Roman. The ending scene also shows all the characters relaxed and in California, with Sidney leaving her front door open, much like Marcus ignoring an incoming phone call from an unknown number.
- Scream 4: The OG trio reach with Dewey getting knocked out at the empty hospital room by Jill Roberts, who had killed her accomplice Charlie Walker prior (just like Beth did to Jay) as she proceeds to take out Sidney Prescott, who is for a while. That’s until Gale (and Judy) shows up and who talks down the killer, just like Liv did to Beth and who does it long enough to distract both killers who are then knocked down as Sidney uses defibrillator at Jill’s head and knocks her down (just like Marcus hit his helmet at Beth’s head that sends her plummeting from the roof down the gym floor), and with the survivors uniting and with Jill having the final scare until she is shot down just like Beth is by Kym.
- Marcus reveals in Endgame to Liv that he has been pretending to be his twin Deion since the night he was killed after the two had switched Halloween costumes to prevent Tommy Jenkins from further bullying Marcus.
- Ever since the tragedy, Marcus feels a sense of deep shame and guilt for abandoning his brother and it's implied that he was mentally traumatized by the tragedy, experiencing nightmares and hallucinations associated with the event of his brother's death.
- His hallucination and nightmare of his dead revengeful brother is similar to that of Sidney Prescott’s nightmare of her late mother Maureen Prescott in Scream 3, as well as Emma Duval’s hallucination/nightmare in the Season 2 episode “Happy Birthday to Me”, with all 3 instances being warnings and in which all marked the return and upcoming confrontations with their killers, respectively .
- Marcus’s sibling and family trauma is similar to what Sidney Prescott felt in the original Scream, with Jamal Elliot, his half brother and his accomplice Beth, similar to Billy Loomis and his accomplice, Stu Macher, causing the events due to the main characters family being irresponsible and rude, thus making the killers the “antiheroes” with reasonable motives.
- This can be also held with Nancy Loomis in Scream 2, and her accomplice Mickey Altieri, with the former trying to avenge her dead son due to Sidney’s mother. In Scream 3, Roman, just like Jay, exposes himself and holds Sidney (like Marcus) accountable for him not being with his mother and thus causing the events of the first two films.
- Marcus is officially the first (male) character, thus far, in the entire Scream franchise, who during the opening scene and alongside his partner (twin brother, Deion), survives and isn’t killed alongside or after anyone else (duo).
- This surpasses the tradition seen in the first four films, the first three each being couples (duos, male to female), and the fourth, with it being two female best friends (which Marcus and Deion inverse in Season 3 as biological brothers, the first sibling duo to premiere in the opening of the franchise). This also is held for the opening of Season 1.
- Despite surviving a prank attack in the opening of Season 2, the character of Audrey Jensen doesn’t count, who despite being in the opening, wasn’t attacked by the real killer nor was with somebody else (seeing as Haley was the prankster, thus each not counting as a duo).
- The I Know What You Did Last Summer series on Amazon had a subplot involving a dead twin and their sibling living their life. There are some similarities and differences.
- Instead of brothers, the twins were teen Sisters, Allison and Lennon Grant.
- There is conflict among the Grant Sisters as Lennon slept with Dylan, who Allison was in love with. While the Elliot Brothers seem to be close.
- Both Deion and Lennon have car related deaths. However, Lennon is accidently struck by her sister. Deion was trapped in Luther Thompson's(The Hook man) car and died of starvation.
- When Lennon is killed, her friends think it is Allison unlike Deion who is never seen alive by anybody except Thompson.
- One Key Difference between the Elliot and Grant Twins is, Allison and Lennon's father, Bruce knew that Lennon was killed, and that Allison was living her life. It's unknown if Marcus and Deion's Mother, Sherry knew Marcus was pretending to be Deion.
- In Both Series, the killers figure out who they really are. In Scream Season 3, Marcus and Deion's half-brother, Jamal was one of the killers (along with Beth) and on I know what you Did Last Summer, the killer was Margot, Allison's friend and lover.
- While Allison was technically the protagonist of I know what you Did Last Summer, she took a villainous turn by telling the police that Dylan killed everybody instead Margot. Marcus was portrayed as heroic.
- This surpasses the tradition seen in the first four films, the first three each being couples (duos, male to female), and the fourth, with it being two female best friends (which Marcus and Deion inverse in Season 3 as biological brothers, the first sibling duo to premiere in the opening of the franchise). This also is held for the opening of Season 1.
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