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Austin Powers 4 is happening, and if you're one of the many who just read the headline when Mike Myers confirmed as much, you might think you've heard all you need to know. However, the reality is there's much more nuance to Myers' recent confirmation, which, for this longtime fan, really didn't feel different than anything I've heard in years past.
As someone who not only watches the trilogy yearly but also has written at length about what Austin Powers 4 should include, I'm pretty invested in this. So when I heard that Myers confirmed it's happening on Trevor Noah's World Cup Watch Party, I was hyped, until I actually got the details of what was said.
Mike Myers Offered Zero Details Beyond Austin Powers 4 Happening
Noah welcomes Mike Myers as a guest for his livestream of the World Cup match between France and Senegal. When asked if audiences would ever see Austin Powers 4, the former host of The Daily Show barely finished the question before getting a response from the SNL vet. He said:
Yes
That's it. There's no additional context about filming, the plot, or even how they plan to address the death of Mini-Me actor Verne Troyer. Trevor Noah sold the reply by reacting to the quickness with which Mike Myers responded, but an actor's commitment to making a movie happen isn't all that's needed to get a film made. If that were all, I'd like to think we'd have seen Austin Powers 4 a long time ago.
While It's Good To Hear This Is Still Happening, This Is More Or Less The Same Thing We've Heard About Austin Powers 4 For Years
Mike Myers has talked about Austin Powers 4 a lot over the years, and I think that plays into his fast response to Trevor Noah about whether it would happen. Clearly, there's still a lot of interest in seeing this movie, and if they ever come up with an idea, it doesn't seem like Hollywood is going to turn it down.
Mike Myers has said a lot about the possibility of this movie over the years. He's talked about how the films take a long time to write, and even that he'd love to do a Dr. Evil movie entirely separate from Austin Powers 4. We've even gotten The Pentaverate, which I maintain may be the closest we ever get to a new Austin Powers movie. (For those who haven't seen it, check it out with a Netflix subscription.)
All this to say, let's remember Mike Myers has Shrek 5 on the way with a recently released trailer. It's in his best interest to be in the news, and he effectively did just that by affirming a project is happening whilst offering zero details about it. I'm not saying he's lying; I'm just saying confirmation is the very first step in a very long list of things that need to happen before Austin Powers 4 is in theaters. Not to mention, if any one of those steps along the way doesn't work out, it's back to square one, so readers should measure their expectations.
Here's hoping we have more news on Austin Powers 4 once Mike Myers is doing press for Shrek 5. I would love to see a new movie, especially one that leans into the funnier elements of modern spy movies.
