When Mike Myers first donned the velvet suit in 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, few could have predicted that the quirky spoof of 1960s espionage would evolve into a box office juggernaut, with the 1999 sequel The Spy Who Shagged Me and 2002 continuation Austin Powers in Goldmember pushing the trilogy’s total global earnings past $670 million. However, for over two decades, the groovy spy saga has remained dormant, trapped in a realm of persistent rumors, nostalgic commercial reunions, and tentative “what-ifs” from franchise director Jay Roach. That quiet spell ended abruptly in June when Myers gave a simple, one-word confirmation that Austin Powers 4 is officially moving forward after all this time.
Myers, who created, wrote and starred in all three Austin Powers movies, has long expressed his interest in resurrecting the series, but has notoriously played his cards close to his chest about its development – until this year when he dropped the bombshell that a fourth sequel is, in fact, in the works. After that, he delivered a whole bag of “shh,” as he failed to provide any specifics about the project and the news fell silent once more. That is, until Seth Green stepped into the conversation with a new update on the franchise’s future.
The actor behind the angst-riddled Scott Evil recently appeared on The McBride Rewind podcast, where he was pressed on whether a script actually exists for Austin Powers 4. “I don’t know,” he admitted, before outright confirming that the fourth installment is not in production. Since he hasn’t received a script yet, it could be a long way off. However, if propositioned, he asserted that he would reprise his role as Dr. Evil’s son. “Could you imagine a scenario when I’d say no?” he said. “What an insane thing to even suggest.”
Myers’ public teasing and vague confirmation didn’t just rattle the industry – it also prompted Green to take matters into his own hands. The actor revealed that he sent a text to Myers to call him out on his speculation-inducing activities, saying, “I sent him a text, and I’m like, ‘You’re just out here baiting this audience.'” Green’s comments raise critical questions about whether the franchise is truly ready to break out of its cryogenic freeze, or if the project faces a far more complicated road to the big screen than Myers’ “yes” suggests.
While a definitive timeline remains as elusive as Dr. Evil’s plans for world domination, the burning desire to see these characters return has never truly faded. Audiences recently caught a glimpse of what a fully-fledged revival might look like when Myers, Green, Mindy Sterling, and Rob Lowe gloriously stepped back into character for a nostalgic Verizon commercial. The ad proved that the cast’s undeniable, villainous chemistry hasn’t skipped a beat after more than two decades apart, but whether the cast ever gets the chance to reunite for a cinematic sequel is another story entirely – one that hasn’t been written yet.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
