Fans are demanding many questions and mysteries surrounding Regan from The Exorcist and beyond be answered or resolved in The Exorcist: Believer, which is set for release later this year. Regan is an interesting character, and not a huge amount of background is divulged about her in the first two Exorcist films. But with the up-and-coming sequel approaching, audiences will be anticipating some resolutions to the questions surrounding Regan’s character.
Linda Blair stars as Regan MacNeil in only the first two Exorcist films, The Exorcist, and Exorcist 2: The Heretic, but there is a possibility she will return to the series in The Exorcist: Believer.The first film sees her possessed throughout most of the plot, with roughly a third of the film having her in an ordinary state enjoying her relationship with her mother, Chris. In the second film she appears to be un-possessed throughout almost all of the film, or so it seems at first glance. Regardless, there is much about her character that remains a mystery, and there are some questions audiences would like answered in the upcoming reboot, The Exorcist: Believer.
10 How And Why Pazuzu First Targeted Regan In The Exorcist?
If the spirit of Pazuzu, king of the wind demons, was unearthed during an archeological dig in Iraq, there needed to be a specific reason why he would decide to target Regan for possession, who was living all the way in Washington D.C. Regan used a Ouija board with her mother in an early part of The Exorcist, which may have acted as a portal for Pazuzu to enter their home. However, there surely were many other people in the world at that same time who were using a Ouija board, some of whom may well have been based closer to Iraq, meaning less distance for the demon to travel.
Furthermore, there’s the open question of why would the demon target a young girl, rather than a strong, muscular man, for instance, who could have been a more psychically formidable opponent to any priests who may attempt to exorcise him later. Regan already mentioned her invisible friend, whom she named Captain Howdy, prior to the Ouija board game. It is assumed Captain Howdy is indeed Pazuzu, which suggests he was already an influence on Regan’s life prior to the usage of the Ouija board.
Pazuzu may have used Father Merrin as a telepathic link to the other priests who were seen talking outside a church in Washington D.C. Regan’s mother is seen walking past these priests in one of her first appearances in the film, as she looks solemnly at them for an unknown reason. Perhaps she senses evil around her in that moment, which may have been the evil of Pazuzu clinging himself to Regan’s mother to follow her home. However, this is all speculation and isn’t at all clear how or why Pazuzu managed to associate himself with the MacNeil household, something audiences may get answers to in The Exorcist: Believer.
9 Did Pazuzu Choose Regan Because Of Her Name?
Interestingly enough, ‘Regan’ is a gender-neutral name, one given to both girls and boys. Originating from the Irish surname Ua Riagáin, the name literally means “king” or “sovereign”. Pazuzu is a king himself, the king of the wind demons, so this would be a fitting association. Moreover, that the name is unisex might suggest Pazuzu was only comfortable possessing a person whose name could also be suitable for a male, making it more appropriate for when he does fully take over Regan’s body and begins declaring himself as the dangerous king demon he is, reinforcing his intimidation and power appropriately.
8 When In The Exorcist Timeline Pazuzu Began Possessing Regan
Although the general presumption is that Pazuzu began possessing Regan through the use of the Ouija board, as mentioned earlier Captain Howdy was introduced shortly before the Ouija board game. Regan’s initial possession, however, occurs off-camera as she mutters obscenities and urinates in the middle of the living room during a house party thrown by Chris. Regan is later seen violently shaking in her bed, suggesting this is when Pazuzu takes full control over Regan. This muddled Exorcist timeline is only made more complicated by the director’s cut, which features additional scenes of Regan acting sinisterly before the brutal bedside sequence where Pazuzu seizes further control over Regan.
7 Was Pazuzu Actually Exorcized From Regan At The End Of The Exorcist?
It’s shown in the sequel, Exorcist 2: The Heretic, that Regan remains under the influence of something sinister after the events of The Exorcist. With Regan still being hounded by entities, it poses the question of whether she was successfully exorcised during her troubling experiences in Washington D.C. She appears troubled through most of the film, particularly during the hypnosis scenes, but even as she’s first reintroduced in the sequel she appears curious or bothered by the fact there is a new hypnosis machine in the office. This could be nothing, but it may suggest the evil spirits have remained with her all along since the finale of The Exorcist.
6 Did Pazuzu Repossess Regan At The End Of The Exorcist?
What may explain why demons remain in Regan from the very beginning of the sequel is that Pazuzu regains control over Regan after Damien Karras jumps out of the window to his death during the ending of The Exorcist. This is entirely plausible since audiences witness Karras fighting back as his eyes change color like Regan’s did and he goes to strangle Regan, by shouting “No!” His face momentarily turns back to looking normal again before he immediately then jumps out of the window. It’s during that split moment, when Karras fights back against the demon’s will, that Pazuzu may well have then leaped back into Regan before Karras jumps to his death.
5 The Significance Of Regan’s Passion For Tap Dancing In Exorcist 2
The fact Regan likes tap-dancing in Exorcist 2: The Heretic may have no significance at all, other than to see Linda Blair try her hand at something new and exciting in the sequel. However, it may have a more sinister meaning. Tap dancing, along with drawing, is a very innocent practice, something a young child might try to learn. Regan looks troubled as she tries to learn tap. If she is still possessed at this stage, is maybe Pazuzu trying to present Regan as the innocent, harmless little girl he needs her to be to remain inconspicuous, a naïve attempt by Pazuzu to maintain his cover.
4 Why Regan Is Able To Read Minds In Exorcist 2
During The Exorcist, it becomes clear that Pazuzu possesses telepathic abilities, as he demonstrates by reading Karras’ mind on multiple occasions. This may explain why Regan is able to read minds in the Exorcist 2: The Heretic, that she is indeed still possessed and Pazuzu is merely lying somewhat dormant until once again threatened by the church. Either that or Regan is free of evil influences but this power had been inadvertently imparted to her from her experiences in Washington D.C. Another possibility is that Regan has this ability regardless, which poses only more questions, such as how and why this is the case.
3 Was Regan Gifted From The Beginning?
During Exorcist 2: The Heretic, Regan demonstrates her telepathic ability by helping another young girl with her autism. She reads the unspoken words in the little girl’s mind and encourages her to speak fluently, which she does, and for the first time. If this is the work of Pazuzu, it’s unclear why he would do this. This strongly suggests Regan is in possession of this power, that this is her talent and hers alone. She is, after all, able to confidently tell her mother near the very beginning of The Exorcist that she is well aware of how much her mother likes Mr. Denning, which was very surprising for Chris to hear.
2 Who Was Regan’s Father?
Regan’s father is mentioned during an early scene in The Exorcist, between Regan and her mother when Regan is being tucked into bed. Her parents are in the process of an acrimonious divorce (her father is in Europe and is not seen in the movie). According to the Exorcist novel, Regan has a picture of her father, Howard MacNeil, on her bedside table.
It remains unclear why Regan’s parents decided to divorce, and why is it being conducted in such an acrimonious manner. One possibility is that the already-possessed Regan pushed her father out of the family picture, to leave only herself and her mother. The legend goes that Pazuzu, the king of the wind demons, is very protective of pregnant women and mothers in particular, so this may explain why the father was pushed out of the family in some way by Pazuzu, who may already have had possession of Regan long before the events of The Exorcist began.
1 Is Regan The Daughter Of Satan?
Simply unearthing an ancient artifact of Pazuzu in the Iraq desert arguably did not necessarily unleash his power onto planet Earth. Rather, what’s more plausible is that a demon spirit lying dormant inside of Regan was awoken from its sleep at the idea of Father Merrin having discovered something so closely associated with Pazuzu, and thus a connection between the two, between good and evil, was established. To be more specific, Regan could literally be the daughter of Satan.
The Omen, released only two years after The Exorcist, featured the son of Satan, and no doubt took inspiration from The Exorcist. This connection between Father Merrin and Pazuzu could have simply sparked something in Regan, now aware of a threat to her existence as the daughter of Satan. The Exorcist: Believerhas a great opportunity to answer some if not all of these devilishly tantalizing questions from The Exorcist and Exorcist: The Heretic and put to rest the mysteries still surrounding Regan MacNeil once and for all.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
