Throughout Space Jam: A New Legacy‘s existence, long before the effects-heavy family fantasy became embroiled in several minor controversies that included the shocking revelation that Pepé Le Pew had a huge army of fans after he was dropped from the movie, people getting up in arms over Lola Bunny not being hot enough and the threat of a boycott due to star LeBron James’ social media activity, one of the most pressing questions was whether or not Michael Jordan would be involved.
After all, the word ‘legacy’ is right there in the title, and the original Space Jam remains a beloved favorite for an entire generation 25 years after it was first released, while it would make a whole lot of sense given the parallels between James and Jordan both dominating the NBA and teaming up with the Looney Tunes for a big Warner Bros. blockbuster.
Not only that, but if His Airness wasn’t involved, you can guarantee that the ‘and I took that personally’ memes would be flowing like water after Malcolm D. Lee’s sequel fades to black without a guest spot from the 58 year-old. Luckily, Don Cheadle has now confirmed that A New Legacy will feature the basketball legend in some capacity, but it might not be as straightforward as viewers are expecting.
“Michael Jordan is in the movie,” he says. “But not in the way you’d expect it.”
That’s admittedly vague, but it does at least provide some connective tissue to the first film, although we probably won’t find out exactly how Jordan factors into Space Jam: A New Legacy until it hits theaters and HBO Max on July 16th. Now we’re just waiting to discover if Bill Murray and/or Wayne Knight will be back as well.
