The original plans for the Back to the Future trilogy make it clear that a fourth installment is unlikely to ever happen, despite multiple hopes for an eventual continuation of the franchise. Back to the Future is considered one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, and follows the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his scientist friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), who invents a time-traveling car. The franchise is a masterful blend of humor and action, with the DeLorean being considered one of the most iconic movie cars ever made.
The first Back to the Future movie was released in 1985 and was an instant worldwide hit. Back to the Future‘s box office success led to two sequels, released in 1989 and 1990, respectively. While there have been many calls for a fourth installment, the creatives behind Back to the Future have consistently shut down a fourth movie. Additionally, the original plan for the first film subtly explains why Back to the Future 4 will likely never happen.
If Back To The Future Was Never Meant To Become A Trilogy, It Definitely Shouldn’t Have A Fourth Movie
Robert Zemeckis Only Intended For One Back To The Future Movie
The first Back to the Future ended on a clever cliffhanger as Doc Brown returned from the future and called Marty and his girlfriend, Jennifer, away for a new adventure in the DeLorean. Back to the Future Part II later resH๏τ the first movie’s ending and depicted Doc taking Marty and Jennifer to 2015 to save their future marriage and “do something about your kids.” While the original ending seemed like a sequel hook, Robert Zemeckis later revealed that “the flying car at the end was a joke” and not intended to inspire a sequel (via Den of Geek).
In an interview for the 2002 DVD re-release of Part II, Zemeckis explained that “we never designed the first Back to the Future to have a sequel.” Following the movie’s critical and commercial success, Universal Pictures were eager to capitalize on it and made plans for a sequel. Both Zemeckis and Bob Gale eventually agreed to return after they were informed a sequel was happening regardless of their involvement. Their efforts paid off, but considering it was never the original plan to make a trilogy, a fourth movie definitely shouldn’t happen.
There Are So Many Reasons Back To The Future 4 Is A Bad Idea
The Cast & Crew Of The Franchise Have Repeatedly Shut Down Rumors Of A Fourth Movie
In the years following the trilogy’s conclusion, the cast and creatives have consistently stated that Back to the Future 4 will never happen. Michael J. Fox has stated that he “[doesn’t] think [there] needs to be” a fourth movie and, due to his Parkinson’s Disease, he wouldn’t be happy with reprising his iconic role (via Variety). Gale has explained that a fourth Back to the Future movie would only ever work if the original cast were to return (via Collider).
Another Back to the Future movie would do more harm than good to the franchise.
Gale has also stated that he believes the Back to the Future trilogy “told a complete story” and it would be extremely difficult for a fourth movie to create the same charm and action that made the franchise a success. As both Gale and Zemeckis have continuously refused to return, Back to the Future 4 would require an entirely new cast and crew to be made, and would likely struggle to capture the legendary on-screen chemistry and comedy acting of the original trilogy. At this point, another Back to the Future movie would do more harm than good to the franchise.
Sources: Den of Geek, Variety, Collider
