Mike Myers confirms ‘Austin Powers 4’ is in the works

Mike Myers has given fans of the long-dormant spy spoof franchise the answer they have been waiting for: a fourth “Austin Powers” film is happening.

Mr. Myers dropped the news Monday during Trevor Noah’s World Cup Watch Party, when a fan asked whether “Austin Powers 4” would ever materialize. His reply was a single, unhesitating word: “Yes.” Mr. Noah, visibly surprised, noted, “Wow, that was a quick yes!” Mr. Myers did not elaborate further.

The announcement, brief as it was, ends years of vague speculation. Mr. Myers has long expressed interest in returning to the franchise but consistently stopped short of committing. In a 2022 SiriusXM interview, he said he “would love to do” another film while adding that he could “neither confirm nor deny” any such project — what he himself called a “non-confirmed confirmation confirmation.” In 2024, he told interviewers there were “absolutely” more stories to tell and indicated he wanted any sequel to center heavily on Dr. Evil, the villainous alter ego he also portrays.

Franchise director Jay Roach has similarly kept the door open. In a Deadline interview, Mr. Roach said: “I wouldn’t say ’never’ never, but it does depend on Mike having something that he’s inspired about and after all these years it hasn’t quite clicked yet. But I’m always game for anything he wants to do. He’s a genius and he helped me get started and it was a blast.”

The three New Line Cinema films — “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997), “The Spy Who Shagged Me” (1999), and “Goldmember” (2002) — collectively grossed more than $670 million worldwide and became enduring cultural touchstones. A fourth installment would arrive more than two decades after “Goldmember,” the longest gap in franchise history.

Mr. Myers’ comments came amid a renewed burst of Austin Powers nostalgia. He recently reprised both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil in a Verizon commercial alongside original co-stars Seth Green, Mindy Sterling and Rob Lowe. His last lead role in a live-action feature was the 2008 box-office misfire “The Love Guru.” Since then, he has made scattered film appearances — including a cameo as music executive Walter Yetnikoff in this year’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” — and starred in the 2022 Netflix comedy series “The Pentaverate.” He is also set to return as the voice of Shrek in “Shrek 5,” due in 2027.