Candyman 2021 acts as a direct follow-up to the 1992 original, but does it wipe the previous sequels from canon in the process? Candyman started life as "The Forbidden," a short story from Clive Barker's Books Of Blood. The urban legend slasher in that tale is quite different from the Candyman actor Tony Todd ended up portraying in the movie, which moved the action from Liverpool to Chicago. The story followed Virginia Madsen's student Helen Lyle as she researches the legend surrounding Candyman, a black painter who was lynched by a mob for falling in love with a white woman. Following his horrific death, he was reborn as a murderous spirit who is summoned whenever his name is called into a mirror five times.

While the concept of a black horror villain was somewhat controversial when Candyman was first released, Todd's unforgettable portrayal has seen him joined the horror icon ranks of Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers. The movie itself is also regarded as a genre great, which can't quite be said for the sequels. 1995's Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh was set in New Orleans, diving deeper into Candyman's origins as he stalks a descendant of his former love. The final sequel, 1999's Candyman: Day Of The Dead, was set in L.A. and ended up going straight to video. It has some interesting concepts but is ultimately considered the worst of the series, with even Todd expressing distaste for it. While a fourth movie was in development during the early 2000s, it didn't come together.

Candyman 2021 saw the titular slasher return after a 20-year absence and cast Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, a struggling artist who appeared in the original as the baby Candyman intended to sacrifice. Nia DaCosta's new Candyman sequel remixes the concept, revealing that while Todd's Daniel Robitaille may have been the original Candyman, the spirits of more black men who were the victims of racial violence have taken on the mantle throughout the decades, forming part of "the hive." Like Halloween 2018 or other recent legacy follow-ups, no mention is made of past sequels, but does that mean they are no longer canon?


Candyman 2021 operates from the perspective that the titular phantom hadn't been summoned in nearly 30 years, but this doesn't necessarily mean the past sequels didn't occur either. The characters in the 2021 film would have no reason to research or know about the events of Farewell To The Flesh or Day Of The Dead, as they were unconnected to the legend of Helen Lyle or her fiery death. A sign that at least Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh is still canon is the use of the name Daniel Robitaille.

In Candyman 1992, the original name of Todd's painter isn't revealed, and he is only called Robitaille in the 1995 sequel where his violent death - and how his soul became trapped in a mirror - are depicted. Candyman 2021 is very much a reflection (pun somewhat intended) on the story and themes presented in the original film, but for those fans who want the other follow-ups to remain canon, it doesn't wipe them from existence either.