Real Steel 2is still a possibility. This October will mark the tenth anniversary ofReal Steel, the boxing robot drama starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. Though reviews were mixed, the movie was a hit at the box office, albeit perhaps not as much as Disney had been hoping for. Possibly due to falling short of expectations, a sequel was never made and the world had seemingly moved on.
Almost a decade later,Real Steelfound a new audience when it was released on Netflix during the pandemic last year. Maybe the movie was just a bit ahead of its time, as it seems to be just as popular as ever following its streaming release. WhenReal Steelmade the Top 10 most-watched titles on Netflix, Levy realized that there may be some more potential there. In a new interview with Inverse, Levy reveals he’s since talked to Jackman about possibly doingReal Steel 2:
“It has been in my mind and in conversation a lot lately. Maybe because of the fact that when Netflix started streaming it during the lockdown, it became one of their top trending and most-viewed titles. Which led to Hugh and I talking again about, ‘What is this love forReal Steel?’ Kind of this realization that, ‘Well wait, we love it that much too.’ We’ve always loved it that much too. It’s one of those ‘never say never’, even though it feels like the clock has run out on that window of opportunity. It feels like that fan love and that audience hasn’t gone away. So, who knows?”
Real Steelis directed byShawn Levy. John Gatins wrote the script based on a story by Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven. Along withHugh Jackman, the movie starred Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, and Kevin Durand. Set in a world where boxing humans have been replaced by robots, Jackman plays a retired boxer who believes he’s found the next champion in a discarded machine.
Back in April, it was announced that Vin Diesel would be starring in aRock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robotsmovie. This inspiredReal Steelfans to demandReal Steel 2instead, something else that shows that the movie has only grown in popularity since its initial release. If the fans want it and the original director and star are both interested, the timing seems to be perfect for a sequel toReal Steel, but the decision will depend upon Disney noticing the trend as well.
For now, fans can look forward to the imminent release of Levy’s next movie,Free Guy, which starsRyan Reynolds as a background character in a video game worldwho has a chance to become the hero. Jackman will reportedly have a cameo appearance in the movie at some point. For more of Jackman, the beloved actor can also be seen on the big screen this month as the star ofReminiscence, a new sci-fi movie from Lisa Joy.Free Guywill be released on Aug. 13 whileReminiscencecomes out on Aug. 20 in theaters and on HBO Max.
