Like a lot of people my age, Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2is not only one of the upcoming Netflix releases I’m most excited about, it’s also one of my most anticipated 2025 movies overall. Nearly 30 years in the making, the long-overdue sequel will see that iconic ‘90s movie character get back on the green and raise a boatload of cash, as seen in the cameo-filled first trailer. Speaking of which…
After watching the trailer more times than it took Happy to sink that putt way back when, I have a big question about Happy Gilmore 2, and it involves Shooter McGavin, Christopher McDonald’s mean-as-hell movie villain. No, it doesn’t revolve around him teaming up with Happy to defeat some new and younger foe (though that would be awesome); nor does it have to do with him getting his on the ninth hole. Instead, it’s a question about his fate…
Is Shooter McGavin Dead In Happy Gilmore 2?
So, I have to know… Is Shooter McGavin dead in Happy Gilmore 2? I don’t mean in a “he’s not going to be in the movie” way, but instead a question of: “Is a ghost of some sort coming back from the grave to haunt Happy on his new journey of self-discovery?”
I mean, it would make a lot of sense if Shooter is a ghostly guide that reluctantly helps the former Tour Championship star get back on the right path, like he’s out of A Christmas Carol or something like that. A former arch-nemesis who can only be seen by the hockey-player-turned-golfer toying with his old foe could be a fun direction to take the character.
He’s In A Graveyard, Looks Like A Mess, And Tells Happy He Stole His Life
The latest trailer has a few moments that led me to ponder the fate of Shooter McGavin. We don’t see him until the very end, and even then, he’s in a literal graveyard, looks like a mess, and tells Happy Gilmore that he essentially stole his life. While this could mean that the former Tour Championship hopeful’s life is a mess nearly 30 years after stealing the golden jacket after an embarrassing defeat, I think it’s going to be more than that.
We don’t see Shooter with anyone besides Happy; he’s wearing some pajamas, and again, he’s meeting with his former rival in a GRAVEYARD.
There Are Theories About Virginia Vent Being In Happy’s ‘Happy Place,’ But Could Shooter Be In The Not-So-Happy Place?
I’ve seen a lot of speculation about the fate of Virginia Vent, Julie Bowen’s returning character, and theories are going around that she’s dead. There’s even a great SlashFilm piece about Julie being in Happy’s new happy place (as seen in the latest trailer). This would explain why the Tour Championship PR head isn’t around to help Happy pay for his daughter’s ballet school, why she isn’t seen with other characters, and why she looks so angelic in the few shots of her in the trailer.
If that’s so, that could also mean that Shooter is also dead and in Happy Gilmore’s not-so-happy place in the upcoming sequel. Sure, we don’t see him making out with Happy’s grandma or stealing his girl, but having a confrontation in a graveyard doesn’t seem so happy.
I could totally be off-base here when it comes to the fate of Shooter McGavin, but I do think it would make for a more interesting and unique sequel to one of the best sports comedies of all time.
