While chances of Michael J. Fox returning as Marty McFly in a fourth “Back to the Future” installment aren’t likely, the former actor has a great idea for a reboot.
“I actually had this thought that if they did the movie again, they should do it with a girl as Marty,” Fox told Entertainment Tonight Tuesday, adding about the franchise that “there’s something about it that connects with people on every level. I just feel like it will come around again.”
It wouldn’t be the first time a woman took the reins of a beloved 1980s franchise, as 2016’s “Ghostbusters” reboot starred Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones in the leads. In 2018, Sandra Bullock led the all-female “Ocean’s 8” sequel.
Bob Gale, who co-wrote “Back to the Future” with director Robert Zemeckis, said a sequel without Fox would be like a steak dinner without the meat, per The Telegraph. Zemeckis, meanwhile, voiced similar thoughts about a potential remake in 2015.
Universal Pictures via Getty Images
“Ugh, God no,” Zemeckis told The Telegraph. “That can’t happen until both Bob and I are dead. And then I’m sure they’ll do it unless there’s a way our estates can stop it. I mean, to me, that’s outrageous. Especially since it’s a good movie.”
Zemeckis likened the idea to remaking “Citizen Kane” and described it as “insanity.” He told The Telegraph that his and Gale’s contracts with Universal Pictures and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment ensured no “Future” films could be made if they were alive.
“Back to the Future” was a box-office smash in 1985 and the highest-grossing film of the year, according to Screen Rant. Each sequel brought Fox back as McFly but received less critical acclaim than the film before. In 1991, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 29 years old. He eventually retired from acting.
In 2020, Tom Holland told BBC Radio 1 that he had been approached to star in a remake but loved the original film so much he didn’t pursue the project. Ultimately, a female time-traveling lead is still possible — but only in a future without Zemeckis and Gale.
“What’s most amazing about ‘Back to the Future’ is that… it has this life,” Fox told ET. “People don’t just like it and remember it, they celebrate it and embrace it and get my face tattooed on their leg, and I mean, it’s crazy but in a good way.”