The Exorcist Returns — But This Time, It’s a Detective Story
The Exorcist: Martyrs is officially underway, and it’s not what fans expected. Universal Pictures dropped the first teaser on Wednesday, unveiling Mike Flanagan’s bold reinvention of the franchise. No possession. No demonic whispers. Instead, we get a homicide detective staring down something far more unsettling: a killer whose crimes mimic the deaths of saints.
Scarlett Johansson plays Detective Julie Miller, an NYPD officer and single mother who finds herself entangled in a case that defies logic. Her investigation leads her to Father Sunday, portrayed by John Leguizamo, a serial killer whose executions are staged like ancient martyrdoms. The teaser shows him bound, eyes closed, as officers prepare for his execution, but the moment the sentence is carried out, the screen cuts to silence. Then, chaos.
Chiwetel Ejiofor steps in as Father William, a former prison chaplain who presided over the execution. His faith cracks under pressure. The film leans into spiritual crisis as much as supernatural dread. Flanagan, known for blending psychological depth with genre thrills, says this is a standalone story. No direct ties to previous films, though influences from The Exorcist III and William Peter Blatty’s Legion are clear.
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