Mike Myers has spent years keeping Austin Powers fans in a state of hopeful suspension. On Tuesday, he gave them the shortest possible answer to the longest-running question in comedy franchise history.
During a live appearance on Trevor Noah’s World Cup Watch Party, a fan asked whether Austin Powers 4 would ever happen. Myers replied with a single word — “Yes” — and offered nothing further.
The moment landed hours after a Verizon advertisement dropped online that reunited the core cast for the first time since the franchise’s 2022 Super Bowl reunion for General Motors. Directed by franchise filmmaker Jay Roach, the spot features Myers as Dr. Evil alongside Rob Lowe as Number 2, Seth Green as Scott Evil, and Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina, with the villain’s latest scheme — launching a mobile carrier called Menace Mobile — thwarted when his team informs him that complicated phone plans are already standard industry practice.
“Any time I get to be Dr. Evil is a fun time. Especially when I get to play with that incredibly talented cast,” Myers said in a statement. “Verizon brought a really clever approach to launching the Simplicity Plan. It turns out, putting a stop to complicated phone plans is the one thing Dr. Evil’s crew can actually agree on.”
The commercial’s chemistry clearly reignited something. Myers has long expressed interest in returning to the franchise but consistently stopped short of committing. In a 2022 SiriusXM interview he described his position as a “non-confirmed confirmation confirmation.” By 2024 he was telling interviewers there were “absolutely” more stories left, and indicated he wanted any sequel to focus heavily on Dr. Evil.
As far back as 2007, Myers told IGN he had a “fully conceived idea” for a fourth film centered on the villain’s perspective.
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Franchise actor Clint Howard said he remains hopeful, acknowledging that Myers had previously indicated he would not make another Austin Powers film following the 2018 death of Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me. “Maybe time heals that wound,” Howard said, adding that he would be first in line to sign up if called.
Myers’ live-action feature appearances have been scarce since the 2008 misfire The Love Guru, though he is set to return as the voice of Shrek in Shrek 5, due in 2027. The box office logic for a sequel remains intact: the first film grossed $67 million domestically, and the second surpassed $310 million globally.
