Back to the Future 4 possibility gets squashed by co-creator

Co-creator Bob Gale has squashed hope that fans will see Marty McFly in a Back to the Future 4. This comes after another performance of Back to the Future: The Musical, a Broadway adaptation of the classic 1985 sci-fi film.

Speaking with Variety, Gale gave his take on how he feels when people ask if there will be a fourth entry to the series. During the interview, following a performance of the musical, he explained that when people ask about Back to the Future 4, they’re really asking for a movie to recapture the feeling they had when watching the original. This is something that he claims you’ll get from the musical, so there’s no need to go back to the cinematic drawing board.

“People say, “Why don’t you guys do Back to the Future Part 4?” When they say that, they’re saying, “I want something that makes me feel as good as the original did.” That’s what this is. That’s the feeling you’re going to get here when you see this show. There’s no need to go back to that well. You’ve seen too many people go back too many times. As I’ve said many times, the characters in Back to the Future are my family, my children. You don’t sell your kids into prostitution.”

He then gave a word of warning to be wary of going back to a franchise too many times. He explained how the film’s cast is his family — his children — and that you “don’t sell your kids into prostitution.” It’s also worth noting the sequels weren’t as well-loved as the original but served as good enough to continue the story.

There’s also the little hiccup of having to recast Marty McFly as Michael J. Fox retired from acting in 2020 after his Parkinson’s disease, which he’s been suffering with since he was 29, caught up with him. That’s another side that makes the idea of a fourth Back to the Future that much less likely.