Matthew McConaughey May Not Be Back For Magic Mike XXL

Almost everyone was shocked when Magic Mike, Steven Soderbergh’s movie about male strippers, turned out to actually be a phenomenal flick, packed with humor, warmth, visual panache and terrific performances. Perhaps even stronger than Channing Tatum, who portrayed the title character, was Matthew McConaughey (in the midst of his McConaissance), who played the sleazy Xquisite club owner Dallas. He actually built up serious Oscar buzz for his performance – and anyone who saw the movie knows why. Now that Magic Mike XXL is happening, one of the things I was most excited about was seeing McConaughey take on Dallas once again.

Unfortunately though, the actor may not be back for the sequel, which Soderbergh’s long-time assistant director Greg Jacobs is helming. Gabriel Iglesias, who played DJ Tobias, recently let slip that McConaughey’s involvement doesn’t seem likely at the moment. Speaking with Dish Nation, he said:

“Word has it that Matt’s probably not gonna be involved, because he’s worth a lot of money now — that whole Oscar thing. The nerve, right?”

That’s counter to what Tatum, who wrote the script with his producing partner Reid Carolin, said a few months back. The actor states that he “think[s] everyone’s gonna be back,” including McConaughey, though he noted that “obviously no one’s deals are done.” At least we know for sure that both Tatum and Iglesias are involved, though it would be a real shame if McConaughey decided to skip Magic Mike XXL. His Dallas was one of the best parts of the first film, and though the second focuses on some of the strippers going on a wild road trip, I doubt a sequel would entirely ignore his character.

Besides, even Soderbergh, who retired from directing last year, is coming out to work on Magic Mike XXL as a cinematographer and editor. The band is really getting back together for this movie – and it wouldn’t be complete without at least a small appearance from McConaughey.

It does make a lot of sense that McConaughey may be too busy to come back, as sad as that is. Ever since Mud, he’s been highly in demand, and his Oscar-winning turn in Dallas Buyers Club has made him without a doubt the most wanted star in Hollywood. The actor has got his pick of projects – this past spring, we got to see his stellar work on HBO’s True Detective, he’ll appear in this fall’s sci-fi epic Interstellar, and he’s lined up Gus Van Sant’s WWII flick Sea of Trees. With so many promising new roles in his future, it’s understandable that McConaughey doesn’t want to return to a character he played in the past – even if Magic Mike XXL will undoubtedly suffer from his absence.