Fans and critics can cite a number of reasons why New Line Cinema's 2010 reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street flopped so badly, but one factor most agree on was the lack of the original, iconic Freddy Krueger played by Robert Englund. Unfortunately, audiences hoping he might don the striped sweater, fedora and unwieldy razor-glove once more are in for some bad news: In short, it ain't happening.

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In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Englund explained that his days terrorizing teens are almost certainly done thanks to a pretty simple reason.

"I'm too old to do another Freddy now. If I do a fight scene now it's got to be real minimal because I can't snap my head for eight different takes and different angles. My spine gets sore," Englund said. "I can still be mean and scary, but I'm mostly relegated now to sort of Van Helsing roles, old doctors and shit. So it's fun that the last moment of me ever playing Freddy is a wink to the audience."

Englund is referencing his final scene in 2003's Freddy vs. Jason, which saw Krueger face off against the iconic undead slasher from the Friday the 13th series. The last shot audiences get is a wink from Krueger's severed head as it's carried off by Jason, showing that he's down, but not out for the count.

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So if the character does live on, it looks like it'll have to be through another actor...but hey, maybe Englund can cameo in one of those Van Helsing-type roles.

(via CinemaBlend)