Evangelion creator reveals franchise could return, but with one major change

Neon Genesis Evangelion could make another return, according to creator Hideaki Anno, but if it does, he probably won’t be as involved.

The last we saw of Evangelion was in the 2021 anime movie Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. The final part of the Rebuild of Evangelion, the film gave us what seemed like a definitive end to the franchise, tying together the disparate timelines and giving Shinji a happy ending.

Hideaki Anno, the mastermind and director of Evangelion, from the original anime show through to The End of Evangelion and Rebuild, now says another chapter might emerge one day. Speaking to Asahi, he stated “there may be plans” for another installment of Evangelion, though with “someone other than [him]” in the director’s chair.

He’s clear that no concrete plans have been put together, but the possibility is there. Hideaki transitioned to live-action filmmaking during the making of Thrice Upon A Time, co-directing 2016’s Shin Godzilla. That’s since become a de facto franchise in itself, since he was screenwriter on 2022’s Shin Ultraman, before co-directing 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider.

As such, his creative interests seem to be drifting from not only Evangelion, a franchise he’s been overseeing since the early ’90s, but anime in general. That said, he suggests he’ll be taking a break from filmmaking altogether for the next while, as putting out two blockbusters on the trot really took it out of him.

He adds that he “was physically and mentally exhausted from having to release new works” after the global shutdown. Evangelion is a demanding property, melding mecha and gigantic monsters with heady concepts of spirituality, alternate timelines, and human consciousness. Likewise, the animation has always been on the cutting edge, the later films utilizing CGI with hand-drawn sequences to a degree that was surely time-consuming.

So, his choice to allow someone else take control on Evangelion might be one of self-preservation as much as anything else, as Hideaki carefully picks where to spend his energy next. He’s certainly earned a break, and if Evangelion does come back, it’ll likely be in capable hands.

Check out our guide to Tower of God Season 2 and Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 for franchise due to return more immediately, and our lists of the best anime on Crunchyroll and the best upcoming anime have plenty more viewing options as well.