Saw X director addresses that 'fan-servicey' post-credits cameo

(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Warning: massive spoilers for Saw X ahead!

Saw X has just hit theaters – and franchise fans are going wild for the film's post-credits scene.

Director Kevin Greutert previously told SFX magazine that the tenth installment in the franchise would feature some surprises, but what we weren't expecting was the return of series antagonist Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor).

"I know that a lot of the really hardcore fans were hoping for that character to return to the series, and we gave it to them on a nice platter," Greutert told Entertainment Weekly. "We needed to wrap up the story of the other character that we re-meet in the scene, but it was just having fun ourselves. [It's] probably the most fan servicey thing that we did in this film."

Hoffman is a complex character and a franchise favorite. He first appears in Saw III, before going on to appear in Saw IV – where he is revealed to be a disciple of John Kramer/Jigsaw. In Saw V, we learn that Hoffman set up the trap that was purposely rigged to kill Seth Baxter – the man who murdered his sister. He appears again in Saw VI and Saw 3D, the latter being his 'final' appearance as his death is heavily implied.

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.