Five Nights at Freddy’s has finally made its inevitable screen debut after many, many years of waiting, and naturally, William Afton, the franchise’s evil villain, is at the center of the film’s story. His involvement is a significant third-act reveal, as it was never mentioned directly in any promotional materials or news reports during the film’s production. And let’s face it, any true fan understands that without Afton, there would be no FNAF. His presence in the movie is essential to the plot, and his spectacular reveal in the last act will undoubtedly give even the most ardent fans a little shiver. As for me, I was glad to see him in all his vile splendor.
As the franchise’s omnipresent antagonistic driving force, Afton will undoubtedly propel the series through a number of sequels. For story enthusiasts, the prospect of discovering what happens to Afton and his legacy—which is quite the wild ride—could prove to be extremely intriguing if the authorities do his story justice. (Hope all goes well.)
However, the history of Afton and, by extension, the infamous history of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza may not be entirely clear to those who have never played the game.
Let me give you some hints. Here’s everything you need to know about this entertaining expansion of video game lore into the now-existing movie universe: However, there are still more movie and game spoilers to come.
How Is William Afton’s Reveal Set Up in the FNAF Movie?
Josh Hutcherson plays Mike in Five Nights at Freddy’s, a young man fighting to support himself and his younger sister Abby. He meets with Steve Raglan, a career counselor, in an attempt to find employment that will enable him to support his sister and himself while also making him appear respectable to a judge.
The film Raglan, which stars horror icon Matthew Lillard, gives Mike a few job options, one of which is night security at a dilapidated pizza place that closed in the 1980s. Raglan comes across as a little shady. (Yes, it is Freddy Fazbear’s, the formerly cherished children’s area that has been the subject of a lot of recent talk.) Naturally, once Mike gets to work, the animatronic Freddy Fazbear characters that are the center of attention on him at first look at him menacingly. However, things change when Mike gets compelled to bring Abby to work one night. Later, more on that.
At the end of the movie, after Mike and Abby have become completely enmeshed in Freddy’s world and what that means for Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy, the restaurant’s animatronic residents, Raglan and Afton come together when a fifth animatronic, named “the Yellow Rabbit,” is introduced in the last act. As it happens, Afton—who was using his disguise as a career counselor to trick people into taking on the risky job—is the one wearing the suit.
Does the movie do this reveal well? Those who are acquainted with the vast canon of FNAF may not be overly shocked, but they will undoubtedly take some solace in the William Afton revelation. It’s an entertaining surprise—if a little cliche—that lends Lillard a well-earned sense of menacing prominence. Furthermore, the revelation is clearly playing into the hands of the fans. You can either love or hate the film, but you have to give them credit for everything that involves Afton.
But Who Is William Afton in Matthew Lillard’s Works?
Since he is the founder and focal point of the FNAF franchise, I’m delighted you inquired. In the video games, Afton is the creator and owner of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. He is also a serial killer who has killed at least 12 kids in a ten-year span. He was the primary antagonist in the franchise’s first four games and the person who put an end to the four kids whose ghosts had been controlling Freddy’s animatronics ever since the pizzeria closed.
As the building begins to shake and collapse, they drag Afton to the back room where they leave him to meet his fate—or not.
In the early 1980s, Afton and his closest friend Henry Emily opened the first Freddy Fazbear’s together, utilizing the animatronics Emily had built herself as the focal point of the overall theme of the eatery. Sort of like Chuck E. Cheese, you know?
However, Afton was very fond of Emily’s creations, especially the one named Spring Bonnie. One of Freddy’s regular animatronic rabbits, Bonnie is blue; however, the version of Bonnie that is available for Spring is yellow. Do you recall “the Yellow Rabbit”? Indeed.
Because he had to manipulate the suit’s internal mechanisms—a variety of metal parts that regulate the animatronics elements—to wear it and avoid getting impaled by the mechanical parts, Afton became well-known for donning it around the pizzeria. However, in 1985, Afton used Spring Bonnie’s costume to entice five kids into the back room of Freddy’s, where he abducted and killed them.
Since the children’s bodies were concealed by the animatronics, there was insufficient evidence to hold Afton in police custody. Although the children’s bodies were never discovered, their ghosts have always had a murderous and malevolent presence in the animatronics costumes. Nevertheless, they are still children at heart, which is why they liked Mike’s sister Abby in the movie and enjoyed hanging out with them in the pizza place before they turned on them.
Afton returned to the run-down Freddy’s building years later with the intention of destroying the animatronics, which had the sole purpose of releasing the children’s spirits from within. Although they pursued their murderer, they were unable to hurt him physically. Rather, they trapped him in a back chamber where he discovered Spring Bonnie’s suit once more. Afton was crushed to death when the suit’s internal components all snapped into place because he was unaware that the springlock technology was compromised for so long.
In the movie, the children’s victory over Afton is somewhat different, at least. A wall of kid-drawn portraits of the characters can be seen in the film, with a central image featuring Spring Bonnie and five other kids. Abby draws the animatronics a picture of what Afton actually did to them because they can’t remember what he did, and they know they have to get them to turn on after he reveals himself. After that, they turn on Afton and seem to be torturing him just enough to cause his suit to crush him. As the building begins to shake and collapse, they drag him to the back room where they leave him to face his fate—or not.
What Does This Signify for the Future of the Five Nights at Freddy’s Films?
His famous quote, “I always come back,” which also happens to be his last in the movie, provides a significant hint about how Afton’s revelation will impact any prospective FNAF sequels.
Although Afton is hurt at the end of the movie, we don’t see him officially die on screen, so if the franchise goes on, it’s likely that he will reappearance. It would make sense to keep him in the forefront given that he serves as the main antagonist for the first series of games, especially with Lillard playing the part and drawing in older audiences who enjoyed him in Scream and other movies.
It’s also conceivable that the upcoming FNAF movie or movies will follow Afton until his demise, at which point he transforms into a brand-new antagonist known as The Springtrap. After Afton is allowed to die in the games, the spirits of the kids appear to be able to move on, but he is left to rot inside the building for the next thirty or so years. When the villain awakens one day, he discovers that Afton’s unquenchable desire to live and carry out his horrible deeds has rendered his soul a permanent inhabitant of an animatronic suit.
When Afton was discovered by college students in 2023, they took him to Fazbear’s Fright, a terrifying experience centered on Freddy’s dark past. There, Afton accepts his fate and fully transforms into The Springtrap, a deteriorating version of Spring Bonnie that only has Afton’s severed face and intestines.
With a superb casting choice like Lillard available, it would be logical for the story of the movie franchise to proceed in this direction. Fans will be pleased, which is always a good thing, but even for people who aren’t familiar with the game or its mythology, Afton’s journey is worth following. In addition, Abby does ask to see her friends once more in the closing moments of the movie, which essentially sets up the appearance of the antagonist—possibly in the shape of an undead creature.
One thing is certain: a sequel—and William Afton’s comeback—are almost as inevitable as a fun time at Freddy’s from back in the day, given that FNAF is doing well at the box office thus far.