Original Hellboy star Ron Perlman says he would still consider returning for Hellboy 3 if the movie was ever resurrected, despite the recent reboot. Perlman was the first actor to portray the iconic comics character, starring in Guillermo Del Toro's 2004 Hellboy and reprising the role in 2008's Hellboy: The Golden Army. Despite many rumors over the years, and the project getting close to becoming a reality in 2017, a trilogy-ending Hellboy 3 never materialized, with Del Toro moving on to more personal projects and the character getting rebooted.
That reboot, starring Stranger Things actor David Harbour in the title role, was seen as a hard-R reboot for the character, with the studio hoping it would appeal to more mature audiences and lead to a fresh batch of movies for the franchise. Unfortunately, the movie suffered problems from the start, and it was panned by critics and audiences alike, eventually bombing at the box office. Perlman, who had every right to be angry at losing the role, has remained diplomatic about the reboot, even wishing Harbour luck in the role back in 2017. But, that doesn't mean he's given up on playing the character again.
Now, Perlman has weighed in on playing the character again, telling ComicBook that he'd definitely consider returning to the role despite the fact that there was a reboot. He adds he'd see it as a way to "finish the trilogy" he worked on with Del Toro, but also says he's been forced to move on from the role, admitting he doesn't think he's likely to put on the make-up again. He also makes time to say he likes Harbour and doesn't resent the actor for playing the role in the 2019 movie. You can read his full comments below:
I'm fond of David Harbour. He's a really good guy and he's a really good actor, so I was hoping for the best for him, but I had my Hellboy epoch, era, was what it was. This has really nothing to do with it. There was no overlap. They were two completely different entities. So I didn't have an opinion about the new Hellboy or a wish for it to succeed or fail, but I did make it clear that if there was a chance to finish the trilogy with Guillermo, as we had done the first two films and in the image of what he had in mind in terms of closing all of the circles, that is something that I would, to this day, consider doing. But, since it [got canceled], then I had moved on and I didn't have an opinion about any of it. And I'm not being effusive or hyperbolic, that's just the truth of it.
If Hellboy 3 ever gets made, it would make many fans ecstatic but unfortunately, the likelihood remains slim. The first two movies were made with relatively small budgets for CGI-heavy fantasy movies, but were still expensive. They did decent business at the box office, but were far from smash hits, which is why the reboot was attempted. Sadly, that movie was a mess and its failure has likely shut the lid on any more Hellboy movies getting made, at least in the short term. Besides, Del Toro seems to have moved on from the franchise just fine, winning Best Picture for The Shape of Water and working on a number of passion projects in recent years.
Perlman, too, isn't getting any younger. He was already in his 50s when he played Hellboy and is now 70. That's not exactly the kind of thing a studio is looking for in a bankable action hero, even if the character is already established. So, despite his willingness, and that of his co-stars like Doug Jones, it doesn't seem like Perlman will get his wish to appear in Hellboy 3. Fans will hold out hope, though, and if there's anything 2020 has taught movie fans, it's that nothing can ever be dismissed.
Source: ComicBook
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