Why Freddy Krueger Is Suddenly ‘Cancelled’ Online After His Fortnite Debut: The Dark Detail Wes Craven Cut From the Original Script

Go to any Halloween party and there’s bound to be someone dressed up as Freddy Krueger. With his red-and-green striped sweater, disfigured face, and menacing razor glove — he’s one of the most instantly recognizable fictional villains out there.

But if Krueger is your plan for your Halloween get-up next year, you may want to see what the internet has to say before you don your striped sweater and fedora. Weeks after he entered the realm of Fortnite in early October, the internet has been in a heated debate over the Elm Street killer, with some theorizing the skin sent curious players looking up the films. So, is he actually cancelled?

Why Some People Have a Problem with Freddy Krueger’s Origin Story

Much of the Krueger criticism centers on his origins. Wes Craven originally imagined his villain as a child molester, but changed him to a child murderer for the 1984 film. This was done to avoid being accused of exploiting real child molestation cases at the time. In the finished film, that darker backstory is only implied through subtext.

However, the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street brought the story back to its roots, portraying Krueger as an evil child predator. Critics weren’t impressed (14% on Rotten Tomatoes)… That explicit approach is at the center of the latest debate, which picked up on X in mid-October after a viral post argued the predator angle works as subtext but not as the main event.

RELATED: 10 Must-Know Survival Tricks to Beat Freddy Krueger in Your Nightmare on Elm Street Dreams

Why Some People Feel the Freddy Krueger Cancel Debate Is ‘Not That Deep’

In @so.mexican’s recent Instagram post outlining the latest cancel culture target, comments are mostly lighthearted:

“Cancel shrek too 😂😂😂” – @el_bruhyen_

“Do they remember that it was a f***ing movie 🙄🙄🙄” – @papidrewent20

“Since when are horror movies creating nice killers lmao” – @kitten._kandi.kat

This Is Not the First Freddy Krueger Controversy We’ve Seen

Freddy Krueger has been around for over 40 years now, and he’s stirred up his fair share of controversy. In 1989, Matchbox halted production of its talking Freddy Krueger doll after Rev. Donald Wildmon called for a boycott of stores selling the toy. And that’s just one example.

Krueger has outlasted every round of outrage thus far. Right now, more viral posts have defended Freddy than tried to cancel him, and Dread Central argues far more people are talking about a cancellation than demanding one. So let’s see if he’ll survive this latest round of cancel culture.

RELATED: There Are Now Two Competing Freddy Krueger Movies — And Only One Can Survive

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and the 2010 remake are both streaming on AMC+ and, for a limited time, HBO Max in the US, and both can be rented from $3.99 on Amazon Video.