What’s going on with Real Steel 2? Directed by Shawn Levy and starring Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, and Kevin Duran, Real Steel arrived in theaters in 2011 with the promise of an exciting, original story and a top-tier cast bringing it to life. In the years immediately following Real Steel‘s release, a sequel was expected to follow and has, in fact, been on the books for the better part of a decade. So will Real Steel 2 ever come together?

Real Steel told the story of washed-up boxer Charlie Kenton (Jackman), who was swimming in debt others were jonesing to collect so Charlie could make a living in the up-and-coming sport of robot boxing. When Charlie learns he has a son, Max (Dakota Gayo), and is forced to step in to reconnect, he realizes Max is interested in learning the robot boxing trade. The two join forces and, after some major setbacks, discover a sparring robot they name Atom with the potential to become a contender in the robot boxing world.

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With audiences showing their approval by giving Real Steel more than $300 million globally in its theatrical run, there is still potential for Real Steel 2. This Real Steel sequel could go even further with its story, diving deep into the world it had built. But since 2016, things have been quiet on the Real Steel 2 front; is this sequel doomed or destined to happen?

Real Steel’s Story Can Continue In A Sequel

Real Steel ends its story with enough room for a new story to flourish. In the film, Charlie and Max get their rising star robot boxer Atom involved in a marquee match against the more skilled robot Zeus. The fight gets intense, with Atom suffering damages that leave certain key functions sidelined and forcing Charlie, who operates Atom during fights, to shadowbox with Atom, putting his own skills as a boxer to the test. Atom puts up a good fight but Zeus ultimately wins. However, Atom is dubbed “The People’s Champion”.

A Real Steel 2 story has yet to be decided on, but there are plenty of ways to get this franchise back on its feet. Whether it’s picking up the story with an older Max or bringing Charlie back as the lead and involving him in a new story or something entirely different, Real Steel 2 has legs in this aspect of its production.

Shawn Levy Confirmed A Real Steel Sequel Is In The Works

Levy and Jackman have reportedly been working on Real Steel 2 since the first movie released, albeit quietly and slowly. Levy confirmed this in 2014, around the time he was in post-production on Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, saying: “We have been quietly developing a sequel to Real Steel for three and a half years. We’ve come up with some great scripts but Hugh and I would only make it if the plot feels fresh, but also the character journeys feel fresh, and we’ve found both but never at the same time. It’s ongoing. I know the clock is ticking.”

It’s still unclear if or when Levy and Jackman will come back together to continue developing the sequel. What’s key is that there’s been no news development on Real Steel 2 has stopped – a good sign for sequel hopefuls.

A Real Steel Sequel Could Happen Soon

Levy’s been busy with Stranger Things (as well as producing several other properties) in recent years, while Jackman’s schedule has been jam-packed, starring in films like Logan, The Greatest Showman, and The Front Runner, and, most recently, signing on to star in a revival of The Music Man. Meanwhile, Lilly and Mackie have been tied up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of this is to say that, since 2011, a majority of Real Steel‘s cast has been otherwise engaged, but the chance to come back together to develop a story and proceed with production is on the horizon. Many of the Real Steel 2 pieces seem to be in place – good box office receipts, an interest from audiences, good story potential, etc. – which means this sequel could still happen.