'Evil Dead Burn's Circle Of The Wise Men, Explained (& How It Connects To 'Army Of Darkness')
Evil Dead Burn (2026) not only gave us yet another hyper-violent entry in the series that deals with much darker themes than before, but it also expanded on the lore. There are obvious additions, like the Kandarian Dagger, that tie the series back to Ash's exploits, but there was also something else: The Circle of the Wise Men.
We don't know much about the organization, but we were given just enough information to properly explore this secret society, its motives, and why it's so important. But the most exciting thing about it is how it likely connects to Army of Darkness (1992).
'Evil Dead Burn's The Circle Of The Wise Men Was Once Just A Job Title
After almost 50 years, we've only just now heard of the Circle of the Wise Men, and even then, we've never actually seen them. That said, we have seen the origins of what would become this secret group.
In Army of Darkness, Lord Arthur sees Ash after he falls from the sky and calls upon a Wise Man to figure out where he came from. This was the first time we've ever heard the term "Wise Man," and he was also the only one who had faith in Ash.
Not only were he and his fellow wise men skilled in alchemy, making a sleep potion for Ash, but they also knew a lot about prophecies and the Necronomicon. Enough for us to assume they would pass down this knowledge to try and keep people from it. But the only reason we never thought deeply about it was that the Wise Man was simply that in title, rather than tied to what would become a large group.
The 'Evil Dead' Movies Never Had A Group That Fought Against The Evil
In past films, there were never designated groups that fought against the Evil or gave themselves the task of trying ot keep the Necronomicon away from people. That said, we have had groups in general. For example, the Ghostbeaters in Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015) is the first time we saw people working together to fight against the Deadites. But Pablo's ties to bruja magic also teased one group that fought against the Evil.
Aside from that, though, there are no other outward groups that researched the book to try to stop it. There is at least one group that existed and misinterpreted the book, as shown by the religious group in the recordings from Evil Dead Rise (2023). But they all died the moment they read from the book, or at least that's what we've been led to believe.
As a result, before the Circle of the Wise Men, we never had a designated group within this universe to make sense of the multiple moments of violence and chaos of an inexplicable nature. That's why it's so exciting to see what the future holds now that they've been introduced.
'Evil Dead Wrath' Has The Perfect Opportunity To Capitalize On The Circle Of The Wise Men
Evil Dead Wrath (2028) is confirmed to be a prequel, set in the '70s before The Evil Dead (1981). We don't know much about it, but this could have great potential to add more lore to the franchise and the Circle of the Wise Men. We don't know when they officially got that name or who they are, and while Evil Dead Burn's Benjamin Price was a part of it, he was also much older.
Was Price a part of a society in Evil Dead Wrath that disbanded after that film? Does the group still exist with various sects around the world? Evil Dead Wrath could finally give us a clearer picture of what the Circle of the Wise Men really is. More than that, it could also give us an answer on whether the Evil and the Necronomicon could ever truly be eradicated.
Evil Dead Burn feels like a standalone film, but it's really one of the most important movies in terms of lore that we've seen in the series. What started as a throwaway line in Army of Darkness has become something even better, and only time will tell what we do with that information.
