Many moons ago, when Shawn Levy and Anthony Mackie were certainly less of household names than they are now, the two of them, in conjunction with Hugh Jackman, put out a little movie called Real Steel. It didn’t do so hot at the box office, but it emotionally resonated with a lot of folks in the years after its release and people still think fondly of the little robot-fighting story that could. So, when Mackie showed up at the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine, it had tongues wagging. And I’m not just talking about a possible cameo in the upcoming Marvel movie.
Mackie shared some pics from the New York screening of the latest movie in Marvel’s long and storied timeline. You can see the red carpet looks on his Instagram, which he accompanied with a comment reminding people the moment, was, in fact, a Real Steel reunion.
Got to run into some friends and have a quick #RealSteal reunion! LFG!!! Can’t be more excited about these 2 kickin ass! Ryan Reynolds could get Hugh Jackman to be this sexy! 🤣
While there was some chatter about the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World star possibly appearing in the Deadpool & Wolverine cast, a slew of the fan comments about the MCU star had more to do with the 2011 film he’d starred in with Jackman. Yes, a lot of people really have fond memories having watched the flick in theaters or later during its streaming release; they are now calling for Real Steel 2.
- We need a real steel 2 ASAP!!
- They don't make those kind of films anymore
- Get Shawn levy to push for Real Steel 2
- OMG REAL STEEL REUNION!!!!!
- Real Steel 2 please
Honestly, Shawn Levy has been bullish about the possibility of making a sequel even though it’s more than a decade after the original came out. He has a great working relationship with Hugh Jackman, after all, and he’s been clear a streaming home might be the best fit for the project. Which is why it’s nice he also just so happens to have a good working relationship with Netflix and Disney+, as well.
He said back in 2022 that it was only during the pandemic that Real Steel really found a home with audiences when it got its own Netflix release. It was similar to what happened with Suits when everyone and their mother seemingly started binging the legal drama. I assume this argument is helped along by the fact, Levy, Jackman and Mackie have never been more popular, as well.
Anthony Mackie said three years ago that he’d like to see a “Mad Max meets Real Steel” version of the universe, so he's on board for this too. A conversation about a potential Real Steel streaming series instead of a movie has also been discussed, and Levy has said when the right idea comes along, they’ll pounce. From the sounds of things though, the fanbase has been ready for more than a little while, if a few red carpet photos can get people in this much of a fervor.
For now, they’ll have to just be content with Mackie showing up to support Jackman and Levy’s new Deadpool & Wolverine movie, out in theaters in previews tonight and officially hitting the 2024 movie schedule July 26th.
