The Austin Powers franchise can and should be revived with a proper modern James Bond parody. Directed by Jay Roach, the original trilogy starring Mike Myers paid homage to 007 and numerous cinematic spy influences, and the star himself has stated that the spy films were inspired by "pure love for James Bond" (via Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007). Now that No Time to Die will mark the end of Daniel Craig's five-film run as Bond, it makes sense f0r Myers to re-emerge in Austin Powers 4 with a new cinematic persona.
Myers has long been a fan of the James Bond spoof Casino Royale and there's an opportunity to come full circle. The 1967 film stars David Niven as 007 and co-stars Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd - the character that Eva Green so memorably portrayed in Craig's first Bond film, Casino Royale. Martin Campbell's 2006 film is significant for introducing a new type of Bond, one that's far removed from the more frivolous, campy character interpretations of the past. Daniel Craig's gritty Bond still does have a sense of entitlement, but it feels earned. In the Austin Powers series, Myers comedically riffs on the old school Bond persona with his exaggerated line deliveries and over-confident public demeanor, there's space now for him to evolve as Bond did.
Austin Powers in Goldmember, the third franchise installment, released in July 2002 - just three years before Craig was officially announced as the new Bond. In 2020, Myers doesn't have the cultural momentum from years past, but he's actually only five years older than Craig, and so he could sell an older version of Austin Powers that matches the modern 007. Furthermore, the director of the Austin Powers trilogy, Roach, is currently on somewhat of a roll after helming Trumbo in 2015 and Bombshell in 2019.
Austin Powers 4 Should Copy Craig's Modern Bond
Austin Powers 4 should parody the record-breaking Casino Royale and comment on where Bond has come more recently. The very fact that Austin Powers exists as a franchise was a mark of Bond's own franchise having gone stale. Parody deconstructs and by the time Pierce Brosnan left, Bond was ripe for the taking. Given that the reboot was such a big part of the Bond story, Myers using Austin Powers 4 to comment on everything that changed would give the potential sequel a reason to exist.
And how would it look? A black and white open, in the style of Craig's first Bond film, would set the tone, both thematically and aesthetically, and it could also establish a new persona for Myers' character. For entertainment purposes, it may be a wise choice to focus on Powers' promotion as an agent instead of introducing a dark backstory, but adopting the Craig Bond era's Bourne influences would be a great marker. Seeing Myers' comic creation recreating the brutal violence and parkour of Craig's introduction offers huge comedy potential. This new Powers could parody Craig's immediately recognizable facial expression in Casino Royale - the Bond pout - and of course, there should also be a topless beach scene where Austin Powers emerges from the ocean in tiny orange swimwear.
Could Mike Myers Make Austin Powers 4?
So far, it's unclear if Austin Powers 4 will happen. In July 2019, the Austin Powers trilogy director, Roach, implied that Austin Powers 4 would depend on whether Myers wants to move forward without the late Verne Troyer (Mini-Me), who passed away in 2018 at age 49. In January 2020, Roach once again confirmed (via Deadline) that Austin Powers 4 depends on Myers' participation, though the director did seem optimistic about making a new film, stating "I'm always game for anything he [Myers] wants to do."
