An epic action comedy with stylized visuals, extravagant action sequences, and killer tunes, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World not only blew away movie fans, but it also defined Michael Cera as one of the top actors of his generation. A bᴀss player from Toronto, Canada, Scott Pilgrim meets and falls in love with Ramona Flowers, a local quirky rollerblading girl. Unfortunately, Scott learns that he must battle Ramona’s seven evil exes in an ultimate showdown to win the right to date her.

Based on the graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim presents a unique and clever means of storytelling, utilizing memorable characters and eye-popping visuals to create a true cult classic. However, it’s Cera who is the real standout of the film, and it’s clear that he and the rest of the Scott Pilgrim cast had a blast making it. In fact, Cera once confessed that he had so much fun that he was somewhat heartbroken when production on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ended.

Michael Cera Was Sad To Say Goodbye When Scott Pilgrim Ended

He Bonded With The Cast & Wishes They Could Have Kept Filming

In 2024, Michael Cera appeared in GQ’s Michael Cera Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters on YouTube. Naturally, Scott Pilgrim was near the top of the list. Cera spoke of his admiration for director Edgar Wright, stating that he was a fan before ever meeting him, and was also a fan of the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World graphic novels. The young actor considered his being cast in the movie as “a dream come true” at the time.

Sadly, all dreams must end, and when shooting wrapped for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Cera had a tough time letting go. He told GQ:

“By the end of the movie, I felt like ‘This is my world. This is my group of friends.’ It kinda feels like ‘Oh, it’s always gonna be this way.’ And honestly I kind of was a little depressed when we were done because it all just goes away, and you’re like ‘Where did everybody go?’”

Such is the way of filmmaking, as Cera would later learn. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was his first big movie, after all. Plus, he had been doing Arrested Development for years, so he was not used to the brevity of film production. Even so, it makes sense that Cera would feel sad about saying farewell to the friends he’d made, and to all the fun they’d had. “I could have kept making that forever,” he wistfully recalled.

Personally, I can understand how Cera would feel that way. If I had the chance to hang out with the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World cast for almost a year, and work on such an awesome movie, I wouldn’t want it to end, either.

Scott Pilgrim Is Michael Cera’s Career-Defining Role

Cera Captures Scott’s Flaws & Strengths

While it was Arrested Development that got Michael Cera his big break, there is no question that playing Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World quickly became Cera’s most iconic role. Not only was the film hilariously over-the-top and visually hypnotic, but Cera completely embodied the character of Scott in every way. In fact, it’s almost impossible to separate the character from the actor, because the two of them seem to almost be the same person.

One of the most impressive feats that Cera accomplished was making Scott Pilgrim both sympathetic and likable, despite the antagonist’s many flaws. As a 22-year-old with little direction or ambition (other than playing in a killer rock band), Scott starts out as selfish and immature. Yet over the course of the film, he realizes the mistakes he’s made and the hurt he’s caused, and tries to make things right. Not only did Cera capture Scott’s personality to a T, but he also perfectly depicted the evolution of Scott’s character arc with honesty and sincerity.

Every time I rewatch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, I’m blown away by how good Cera’s performance is. Maybe it was his former knowledge and love for the graphic novels, or perhaps he simply felt a personal connection with Scott’s character. Or maybe all of the above. Whatever the reason, Scott Pilgrim continues to be the role that Cera will always be known for.

Michael Cera’s Thoughts On Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

He Was, Of Course, Thrilled To Be Back With The Original Cast

Fourteen years after the release of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, superfans of both the movie and the Scott Pilgrim comics saw their dreams become a reality when Netflix released the animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, in 2024. Amazingly, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off managed to reunite the entire original cast from the movie to reprise their roles in voiceover, including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mae Whitman, Kieran Culkin, and Chris Evans.

Instead of being a prequel, sequel, or remake, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an entirely new plot that takes place in the Scott Pilgrim universe. In a retelling of the original story, Scott loses his fight against Ramona Flowers’s evil ex Matthew Patel, and seemingly dies. However, Ramona finds clues that Scott might still be alive, and decides to investigate his disappearance.

Bringing back the original cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World may seem like an impossible quest, given the fact that so many of the actors have moved on to have very busy careers. However, according to the show’s creator and the author of the graphic novels, Bryan Lee O’Malley, everyone was excited to join the project — especially Cera. O’Malley told the Netflix zine, Tudum,

“Once Michael read it, he became a cheerleader for the rest of the cast. I think his enthusiasm went a long way for us.”

The show’s producer and co-creator, BedDavid Grabinski, elaborated on Cera’s excitement about the animated series, saying: “We really appreciated Michael Cera’s enthusiasm for this new take on the story. He thought our ideas and our scripts were even funnier than we did.”

The Future Of The Scott Pilgrim Franchise

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 2 Isn’t Happening

Though it may have seemed like a risky move, Netflix’s faith in O’Malley was well founded, and to the surprise of no one, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was an acclaimed success, highly praised both by critics and longtime fans of the franchise. The only complaint viewers may have had was that the series only lasted for 8 episodes, leaving them hungry for more.

Unfortunately, as it is wont to do, Netflix decided not to move forward with Scott Pilgrim Takes Off season 2, effectively ending the beloved cult series. The official announcement came from a post on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s X profile in November 2024:

“Anyway, we were recently informed that the show will NOT return. As you know, we only intended one season, and called in a lot of favors to make it happen, so making more would have been nearly impossible. Still, I know some of you have been holding out hope.”

As disappointing as this news might be, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is no chance for more Scott Pilgrim content in the future. At the very least, we know that a few of the cast members would be on board. In a 2024 interview with CBR, Scott Pilgrim actors Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ellen Wong voiced their eagerness to return to the Scott Pilgrim universe.

“I think we are always gung-ho,” Winstead said. “It just has to do with what’s the next story.” Wong, who played Knives Chau in the Scott Pilgrim movie and voiced her character in the animated series, chimed in her agreement, saying, “Totally. If BenDavid and Bryan have more, I am on board.”

At the moment, there’s also no word of a Scott Pilgrim vs. the World film sequel in the works, but we can always keep our fingers crossed.