It looks like Mike Myers is finally throwing us a frickin’ bone by bringing Dr. Evil back and this time, for good? In a teaser for a commercial (yes that’s right) that will be shown at the Super Bowl, General Motors says; “Pinkies up people. Sunday, February 13, evil is back for good.”
Whether this means that we might finally be getting a long-planned fourth Austin Powers film that centres on Dr. Evil remains to be seen. Myers has said that a script is already written for the film, but no start date, casting, or story details have been revealed as of yet, furthering doubts that it will ever come to be. Myers has reprised the role of Dr. Evil in recent years, both on SNL and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Verne Troyer who plays Dr. Evil’s loyal companion Mini-Me, passed away in 2018.
Myers has seemingly semi-retired in the last decade, just popping up in occasional cameos. He had a small supporting role in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). He is behind many beloved characters whose popularity has endured though, including Wayne Campbell and Shrek, as well as more unsettling ones such as The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru.
While the first Austin Powers movie made a modest $67 million, the two sequels would make around $300 million each at the box office. Even Beyoncé appeared in the third one, along with Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow and Danny DeVito starring in a movie-within-a-movie directed by Steven Spielberg called Austinpussy.
Anticipation is already hotting up for the trailers and commercials that we could be getting during the Super Bowl on Sunday, including Jordan Peele’s Nope and our first look at Lord of the Rings spin-off series Rings of Power. The Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the finale of the NFL season and the half-time show will be performed not by one music superstar, but five – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.
While we wait to find out what excitement we have in store, check out our guide to the best comedy movies.