10 Horror Movie Characters WAY Better Than Expected
6. Jesse Walsh - A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
Naturally there was considerable disappointment among fans when Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) didn't return in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, prompting many to immediately take umbrage with her seemingly dull male replacement, Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton).
And while most will certainly agree that Jesse is no Nancy, his character has become something of a cult favourite over the years, largely due to the film's perceived homoerotic subtext.
The sequel sees Jesse fending off Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) as he attempts to possess his body in order to kill in the real world, and this has been interpreted by many as a metaphor for Jesse's repressed queerness bubbling to the surface.
Though there's been much back-and-forth about the intent of the filmmakers, actor Mark Patton has spoken extensively about playing Jesse as explicitly gay, and this unexpected flourish has helped Jesse endure as a queer horror icon over the decades, rather than a mere also-ran replacement for the series' original heroine.