Hank Azaria recently gave an update regarding a potential Mystery Men sequel. The 1999 superhero comedy saw the actor portray the Blue Raja, a fork-wielding hero partner with Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller) and William H. Macy (Shoveler) in an attempt to create Champion City's greatest crime-fighting team. Although Mystery Men was well-received by critics and audiences alike, the movie bombed at the box office, pulling in less than half of its $68 million budget. However, the film quickly generated a cult following after its release to home media and repeated television broadcasts.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Azaria shared a disappointing Mystery Men sequel update. Channeling his Blue Raja character, The Simpsons actor explained that there may have been an attempt to develop a follow-up, but due to Mystery Men's poor box-office performance, the sequel will likely not be produced. Read what Azaria said below:
"I don't think so, my friend. We already tried that, we failed rather miserably, really. We have a cult following, folks like yourself seem to enjoy it. But the box office at the time didn't agree, so usually Hollywood doesn't [give you] a second bite at that apple, do they?"
What Could Mystery Men 2 Be About
Although the Mystery Men movie was not adapted from a vast superhero library like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Universe, it created a world where any off-the-wall superhero concept is possible. With characters like Janeane Garofalo's The Bowler, Paul Reuben's Spleen, or Kel Mitchell's Invisible Boy, a Mystery Men sequel can expand their team with more unique complementary characters.
As with most long-awaited follow-ups that get produced, any possibility of a Mystery Men sequel would likely be a legacy sequel. Similar to Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Terminator: Dark Fate, and Creed, the original cast could reunite to usher in a new younger cast to lead the franchise. However, Azaria's comments about Mystery Men hint that the idea may not come to fruition.
If developments change whether as a legacy sequel or a rebooted film, the titular team could be relatively washed-up and in need of a new purpose in life. When a new evil rises in Champion City, likely stemming from some incident in the first film, Mr. Furious and his crew would be called into action one more time and must recruit new heroes for help. Unfortunately, barring any future updates, Mystery Men 2 remains a wishful dream.
Source: ComicBook.com