Hugh Jackman’s Real Steel arrived at a time when the actor was basking in the success of the X-Men films. The film is directed by Deadpool 3 fame Shawn Levy, who aspired to collaborate with Jackman once more for a sequel. Over a decade after the first film’s release, Levy’s wish seems to be coming true. Levy revealed that the success of Real Steel during the lockdown and the incredible reception of The Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai, both on Netflix, has inspired him to work on a sequel.
Levy and Jackman are currently collaborating with Ryan Reynolds on the third Deadpool installment. Real Steel might have crossed their conversation sometime and it would be great if they managed to involve Reynolds in the sequel project.
Cobra Kai Inspired Deadpool 3 Director To Revive Real Steel Sequel
Back in 2011, Real Steel was not a lucrative outing for Dreamworks or Disney, as it collected only $299 million at the box office against a budget of $110 million. Shawn Levy’s world of robot boxing may not have impressed the Rocky generation audience, but it did manage to spark some interest in the current Gen-Z who were mostly kids back then.
Levy wanted to work with Hugh Jackman again after 2011, either for Real Steel 2 or another project, but it remained a dream for many years. Fast forward to 2020, during the global lockdown, the Stranger Things executive producer recognized the fan base of Real Steel when it topped the Netflix charts. Levy finally met Jackman in 2021 to discuss the possibilities of a Real Steel sequel.
In August 2021, Levy opened up about reviving the shelved sequel project with Cinemablend, where he talked about the surprising reception on Netflix. Levy also put forth the example of Cobra Kai, which brought back characters from the 1984 blockbuster, The Karate Kid, and thrived on Netflix. Levy also pointed out the series shifting from YouTube to Netflix after its second season, which significantly boosted its popularity. The Night at the Museum director told Cinemablend:
“It is amazing how streaming gives people an opportunity to rediscover [things]. Obviously, it happened with ‘Cobra Kai’ and what happened to them when they moved from YouTube to Netflix. When ‘Real Steel’ was on Netflix in 2020, and it was in the top trending titles, it really showed us, ‘Oh wait a second, that audience is still there, and maybe we can even grow it’. Hugh and I have definitely, we have seen each other recently, and I’m not gonna lie and say it didn’t come up.”
If the sequel progresses, The Prestige actor will return to his role as Charlie Kenton, the owner of the underdog robot fighter Atom. However, it remains unclear whether other cast members will return, especially Dakota Goyo, who played Charlie’s son Max. Goyo hasn’t acted since 2014 and is unofficially considered retired from acting.
The Latest Update On The Real Steel Sequel
In early 2022, a few months after Levy expressed interest in the sequel, Disney+ signed him for a Real Steel series. While the production of the show was set to begin in 2023, the writers’ strike put those plans on pause. With the budgets tightening, the studio is likely to reconsider the series. Levy is well-positioned to convince the studio that a theatrical sequel could be a lucrative deal, especially given the original’s recent reception.
Around the time Real Steel became a Netflix sensation, Ryan Reynolds was in talks with both Shawn Levy and Hugh Jackman regarding Deadpool 3. Levy had earlier worked with Reynolds in The Adam Project and Free Guy and he replaced David Leitch as the director in the Deadpool franchise. Deadpool 3 might pave the way for a discussion about a Real Steel sequel.
Deadpool 3 is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024.
