Had the Austin Powers franchise launched in the modern era, the British secret agent would have no doubt been an instant target for the cancel culture mob. After all, he’s lewd, libidinous and all he wants to do is shag, while Fat Bastard would have more than likely come under fire for making morbid obesity the butt of so many jokes.
It was a simpler time when the International Man of Mystery first burst onto our screens in 1997, and the trilogy still holds up today, even if it wouldn’t fly in the current sociopolitical climate where anything that offends even a single person can become the target of a social media campaign denouncing its very existence.
That might be one of the reasons why a fourth installment has never gained any real traction, despite the trio enduring as beloved cult classics that combined to earn $676 million at the box office while scoring largely enthusiastic reviews from critics, not to mention the repeated desires voiced by both Mike Myers and director Jay Roach to see it happen.
However, insider Daniel Richtman now claims that a Dr. Evil spinoff is in early development, although the tipster offers no additional information. Of course, we heard from our own sources recently that Austin Powers 4 was rumored to be back on the table, and Myers revealed in the past that he planned to have the next film told from the villain’s perspective, which would make it both the fourth canonical entry but also the first Dr. Evil solo movie.
So, if something is indeed in development, perhaps it could be a combination of the two. Long delayed comedy sequels are arguably the toughest to pull off, no doubt, but fans would definitely love to see at least one more of the absurd spy spoofs.
