Will there ever be a Back to the Future 4? It has been nearly three decades since the third movie in the franchise made its debut. Another Back to the Future sequel will likely never happen but here's an update on the possibility.
Back to the Future was created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale in the early '80s. The sci-fi adventure comedy premiered in the summer of 1985. The story about teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who traveled back to 1955 with inventor friend Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in a DeLorean time machine was an instant hit with audiences. Back to the Future spawned two sequels, the first in 1989 and the second came just a year later in 1990. Since then, avid Back to the Future fans have wondered whether Marty and Doc have another adventure left in them.
Zemeckis not only co-wrote all three Back to the Future movies, but he also directed them. He still holds the rights to the series and has stated that he would block any attempt at another Back to the Future sequel. Gale shared similar sentiments and reiterated that he wouldn't want to see Marty played by anyone other than Fox. In Gale's mind, Back to the Future: The Game from Telltale Games was the closest thing that viewers will get to Back to the Future 4.
Back to the Future 4 would only work as a sequel if it involved the original cast. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992 and retired from acting a few years later after his condition worsened. He has since come out of retirement to work in guest roles and cameo appearances but it seems like a lead role in a feature film is not plausible. But if he did decide to return to the role as Marty in some form, viewers would undoubtedly welcome him with open arms.
Lloyd, on the other hand, has provided a little more hope to viewers crossing their fingers for Back to the Future 4. He has shared that he would be open to the idea of a sequel only if the original cast and crew returned. While at Niagara Falls Comic Con, Lloyd recently said that if a new Back to the Future installment were to happen, he would want the sequel to convey an important message such as climate change.
The opinions regarding a sequel are split but a recent poll has indicated that many fans are still interested in Back to the Future 4. Either viewers are totally open to a sequel or they are completely against the idea. Now that the cast is much older, Back to the Future might not be able to put out the same element of charm as the original films. It would be more difficult for the cast to portray different ages of their characters without the obvious use of CGI which could be off-putting. Surely the comedy and character chemistry would still be there but the time has seemingly run out on the chance for Back to the Future 4.