Neon Genesis Evangelion could have another sequel

"Neon Genesis Evangelion" creator Hideaki Anno has highlighted the possibility of a sequel to the iconic franchise, while also stating that it could even be made by someone other than himself.

Anno sat down to talk about his career and his new exhibition in Nagoya, Japan. When asked if he wanted to do Evangelion sequels or if he wanted someone else to do them, he replied, "Hmm, there might be some of that. The prospect of a Evangelion sequel made by someone other than me might exist. I haven't decided yet, or rather, it's better for the work that there be a high degree of freedom. Whether it's commercially viable or interesting would depend on the content. It's not that I'm saying I won't do another one or anything like that."

Neon Genesis Evangelion could have another sequel

While a Evangelion sequel would certainly spark a lot of interest among fans, Anno's other responses in the same interview suggest that he wouldn't be the one to direct it. Anno is currently working on a special project for the anniversary of "Space Battleship Yamato," and he says it represents a break from filmmaking. He added that he was "mentally and physically shattered" from releasing back-to-back movies, having made "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time" in 2021, "Shin Ultraman" in 2022 and "Shin Kamen Rider" in 2023. Anno is known in the industry for his high standards and for being involved in all aspects of a degree.

"Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time" is the latest installment in the franchise, marking the end of the "Rebuild of Evangelion" tetralogy. A 2021 interview suggested that any continuation would not be a sequel to 3.0+1.0, with Anno saying, "Right now, I don't feel like I'm going to pick up where I left off."

While the news of an eventual return of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" should have been unanimously taken as positive, there were actually backfires due to the fact that fans feel that there is nothing left to tell:

"Shouldn't this be over by now?"
"No matter how much time passes, it seems like Evangelion always comes back."
"Since Rebuild of Evangelion messed up a lot of things from the original, is it trying to redeem itself?"
"Studio Khara employees need to eat, it's much more prolific to keep putting out Evangelion installments than new projects that they don't know if they'll be well received or not, like with Kaiju No. 8."
"A sequel to Rebuild of Evangelion is impossible, isn't it? Are we going to start again with Shinji's arrival in Tokyo?"
"This is unbelievable. It's like betraying the fans' expectations."
"I guess he still has popularity left among pachinko users."
"I'm guessing they'll want to do generations like Mobile Suit Gundam."
"We all think the same thing, probably they're just doing it for the money, not for the love of the franchise anymore."