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Tony Todd's Return In Final Destination: Bloodlines Is Bittersweet

Published 1 week ago5 minute read

is reviving the Final Destination saga, and for that, it brings Tony Todd back as William Bludworth, but it's a bittersweet return. The 2000s saw the peak of teen horror movies and a resurgence in slasher movies, and among the most popular ones is Final Destination. Directed byJames Wong, Final Destination brought together horror, supernatural elements, and a touch of slasher, while unlocking a series of new fears in the audience. It all started when Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) had a vision of the plane he had just boarded exploding in midair.

Alex panicked, which led to him and others being taken off the plane… which minutes later exploded. Alex then learned that Death doesn't like to be cheated, and will claim their lives in bizarre accidents. This became the premise for the Final Destination saga, which is now preparing for its sixth movie. Although it's not a sequel nor a prequel, , but his return is a bittersweet one.

Clear, Alex, and Carter in Final Destination

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Final-Destination-Bloodlines-Tony-Todd

Tony Todd has been present in one way or another in most of the Final Destination saga since the first movie. Todd's Bludworth made his first appearance when Alex and Clear (Ali Larter) snuck into the funeral home where the body of their friend Tod was. Alex and Clear hoped to take a look at their friend's body to understand his strange death, but they came across Bludworth, the mortician. and that it doesn't like to be cheated, but Bludworth himself became a mystery.

Bludworth returned in Final Destination 2 to give new advice to Clear, Kim, and Burke, telling them that new life can defeat Death, and that's how Kim managed to survive. Bludworth wasn't physically present in Final Destination 3 but his voice can be heard as part of an animatronic Satan at the theme park and at the end of the movie as a train announcement, which only fueled the most popular theory about Bludworth (more on that in a bit).

Final Destination Bloodlines has been said to explore Bludworth’s backstory, and it’s fitting to have the saga’s key recurring character back for one more movie.

Bludworth skipped The Final Destination but returned in the fifth movie, where he appeared as a coroner who told the characters that they could live by taking a life, thus taking the lifespan of the person they killed. , its design, and its plan, leading to theories about Bludworth being Death itself. Final Destination Bloodlines has been said to explore Bludworth’s backstory, finally solving this big mystery, and it’s fitting to have the saga’s key recurring character back for one more movie.

Tony Todd is a horror icon, but he also appeared in movies from other genres. Todd’s acting debut was in the fantasy movie Sleepwalk, in 1986, and that same year, he played Sergeant Warren in the war movie Platoon. His first horror role was Ben in Tom Savini’s Night of the Living Dead remake in 1990, followed by Voodoo Dawn that same year. Todd became widely known when he played Daniel Robitaille a.k.a. The Candyman in the 1992 horror movie Candyman, which became his best-known role.

Final Destination Tony Todd as William Bludworth wearing a suit

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Tony Todd’s 10 Best Movies & TV Shows

Tony Todd made his mark in the horror genre with gems like Candyman and Final Destination, but he has appeared in many movies and TV projects.

Following Candyman, some of Todd’s most notable projects are Alex Proyas’ The Crow, Final Destination, The Man From Earth, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Hell Fest, and the 2021 legacy sequel Candyman. Sadly, Tony Todd passed away in November 2024, and . First was Werewolf Game, released on streaming in January 2025 and directed by Jackie Payne. Werewolf Game is an adaptation of the adult party game created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986 and follows 12 kidnapped strangers who must play a game where they vote on who will be murdered.

. Although it’s going to be bittersweet to see him again as Bludworth, it’s fitting that his final role is not only one of his most popular ones, but also one that will finally solve all the questions there have been around him for years.

Tony Todd as William Bludworth in Final Destination 5

Final Destination Bloodlines has a couple of ways of honoring Tony Todd. First off, and as mentioned above, the movie is said to finally explore Bludworth’s past and, hopefully, solve the mystery of how he knows so much about Death – and that’s a great way of honoring his legacy in the Final Destination universe. Of course, – after all, Tony Todd played the character (physical character, at least) that connects the entire saga.

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Final Destination: Bloodlines

May 16, 2025

Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein

Lori Evans Taylor, Guy Busick, Jeffrey Reddick, Jon Watts

Craig Perry, Jon Watts, Dianne McGunigle

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