“Leaks are unfortunately true”: Fans react to Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist: Martyrs teaser amid Exorcist III comparisons

The Exorcist: Martyrs, starring Scarlett Johansson, has dropped its official teaser trailer. The official trailer will release on Friday, October 9, 2026.

Fans were quick to point out that the setup is similar to the 1990 film, Exorcist III. One user (@lvuexxx) wrote on X,

"The teaser trailer looks good but the leaks are unfortunately true and it does look like it takes creative inspiration from The Exorcist "

Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, this seventh film of The Exorcist franchise apparently follows a single mother cop, Detective Julie Miller, who took down a satanic serial killer, Father Sunday, years ago. While she investigates a new series of murders connected to her past, her son, Max (Jacobi Jupe), becomes the target for a mysterious demonic force.

The fifteen-second trailer opens with Johansson's character, Detective Miller, holding a flashlight aimed at a barrel. The camera cuts to a priest in a church before shifting to a prisoner strapped to a machine. The footage is followed by quick glimpses of a scared boy running, Detective Miller holding a gun, a dark silhouette on the window, and a masked man.

Here's more about it.

Fans react to The Exorcist: Martyrs teaser amid Exorcist III comparisons

The Exorcist: Martyrs will hit the theatres on March 12, 2027. Ahead of its release, the film has dropped its official teaser, and fans can't stop comparing its setup to the 1990 film, The Exorcist III. @CrestedWarrior wrote:

"This one seems to be just taking cues from The Exorcist III."

Another user commented,

"Ok that's fine isn't that kinda like exorcists 3 though?"

Another user also pointed out the similarities between the 1990 film and the upcoming movie. However, the user also shared excitement for watching Flanagan's take on this long-running horror franchise.

"There are cinematic echoes of Exorcist III: Legion. Looking forward to Flanagan's take on the Exorcist cinematic world."

Others tweeted praise for the trailer of The Exorcist: Martyrs. As one wrote,

"My god, this looks great. Cannot wait for Friday!"

Another user commented and praised Flanagan's work, saying:

"I have complete trust in Mike Flanagan. Hill House is one of my favorite horror projects ever."

The leaked plot of The Exorcist: Martyrs follows a police detective who took down a satanic serial killer 13 years ago. However, a new series of murders disrupts the detective's life and is apparently tied to the 13-year-old case. According to the teaser, priests also become part of the investigation. This might sound familiar, as it matches The Exorcist III plot.

At the New York Comic-Con, Flanagan said that The Exorcist III was a major inspiration for his film. Speaking about The Exorcist III, he said (via Esquire):

"It has some ideas that I think are just ripe to be explored further. And I love that movie. It has the best jump scare, maybe in cinematic history. That hallway sequence in the hospital is so astonishing if you haven’t seen it.”

How is The Exorcist: Martyrs similar to Exorcist III? Leaks and teaser trailer explained

George C. Scott plays Lt. William Kinderman in The Exorcist III - Source: Getty

Even though the plot details of The Exorcist: Martyrs are not officially out yet, the teaser confirms that the leaks were indeed true.

According to Cosmic Book News, scooper Daniel Richtman said that John Leguizamo is set to play the satanic serial killer Father Sunday. As per the leaks, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a priest connected to the investigation. Laurence Fishburne plays the priest who performs the exorcism.

According to the leaks, Detective Miller's son, Max, gets possessed. In the trailer, he is scared and is seen running away from something mysterious. Diane Lane plays Detective Miller's mother, who is supposed to take care of her grandson. The teaser shows Detective Miller in a chase after a series of murders occur connected to a past case involving a satanic serial killer.

Interestingly, The Exorcist III follows a Georgetown detective, Lt. William Kinderman (George C. Scott), who is set to investigate a murder series that is similar to the methods of the Gemini Killer, who was executed 15 years ago. The investigation leads to a psychiatric ward where a patient claims to be the Gemini Killer, alive inside the body of Father Karras. One of the victims is Kinderman's friend, Father Dyer. In the finale, Father Morning performs an exorcism.

Thus, there are striking similarities between the two films. For instance, both Lt. Kinderman and Detective Miller investigate a murder series that is connected to cases they solved years ago. Both movies have human antagonists, which is rare in exorcism movies. Both movies also have priests who play pivotal roles. However, the one big difference is that in The Exorcist III, Father Karras gets possessed, and in The Exorcist: Martyrs, Detective Miller's 12-year-old son, Max, will get possessed as per the leaks.