Neon Genesis Evangelion Creator Teases a Sequel Series That Could be Radically Different

Summary Anno suggests Evangelion could continue without him, sparking interest in the possibility of a sequel.

The Evangelion manga, produced without Anno's involvement, offers additional characterization and scenes, but a controversial ending.

Maintaining Evangelion's unique tone and fan expectations would be challenging without Anno's involvement.

Creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion Hideaki Anno had some interesting comments in a recent interview, suggesting that the series might continue some day--just without him. But would Evangelion without Anno really be the same series fans know and love?

As reported by CBR, Hideaki Anno sat down with Japanese media Asahi Shimbun, primarily in regards to a new exhibition centered on him and his work, which has begun in Nagoya, Japan. Asked about the possibility of future Evangelion projects, Anno replied, "Hmm, there may be something to that. The prospect of an Evangelion sequel made by someone other than myself could exist. I haven't decided yet -- or rather, it's better for the work if there's a high degree of freedom. Whether it's commercially viable or interesting would depend on the content. It's not like I'm saying I'll never make another one again or anything like that."

Anno's comments have certainly sparked interest from fans, especially considering the 2021 release of Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, which was the final movie in the long-delayed Rebuild of Evangelion series.

What Would Evangelion Without Anno Be Like?

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It's interesting that Anno would even suggest the possibility of Evangelion without his involvement, as he tends to be a very hands-on director, involved in all aspects of production, and that has been the case with every major Evangelion project to date. In the interview, Anno did note that he was currently quite exhausted from the release of Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0, as well as his next two films, Shin Ultraman (2022) and Shin Kamen Rider (2023). It's possible Anno simply doesn't want to think about taking on another big project at the moment.

However, if one does want to consider what Evangelion without Anno's direct involvement might be like, they can simply turn to the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga. The manga was written by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and in most ways it echoes the original anime series upon which it was based. The manga, however, includes a lot of additional characterization and added scenes of character interaction which aren't present in the manga, enriching the characters and making them more complex and deeper. The additional insight into characters like Shinji can really impact even scenes that are 1:1 from the anime.

Of course, Evangelion's manga also had a radically different, "happier" ending, which many fans disapproved of heavily, and that may be a point of concern for any kind of Evangelion continuation. Much of the reason that Evangelion has remained popular is its bleak, raw portrait of an apocalypse, filled with flawed characters who make poor choices and often suffer for it. Any sort of continuation would need to very carefully navigate fan expectations of its tone, maintaining what made Evangelion so unique and successful in the first place.

With Anno often held as the one responsible for creating Evangelion's depressed, nihilistic tone, it's hard to imagine how one would recapture what made Evangelion special without him. Still, there are plenty of talented directors and creators out there who've proven their skill with other projects, and perhaps an Evangelion that's radically different wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. While there's no indication that more Neon Genesis Evangelion is on the way at the moment, the possibility of the ever-popular series getting a sequel is worth debating--whether Hideaki Anno is involved or not.

Source: CBR