Is Die Hard 6 Still Happening, Or Does Bruce Willis' Retirement Mean The End For John McClane?

If one were to take a random poll in an attempt to determine the greatest action movie of all time, 100 times out of 100, "Die Hard" is probably going to come out on top. Bruce Willis' 1988 classic transcends the genre and has become a shining example of how popcorn entertainment can also achieve pure cinematic perfection. 35 years and four sequels later there is a lingering question: is "Die Hard 6" still going to happen?

Thoughts on the sequels to John McTiernan's original classic vary but all of the films made money. Inevitably in Hollywood, that means another sequel. The last time we saw Willis suit up as John McClane was a full decade ago in "A Good Day to Die Hard." Shortly thereafter, it was first revealed that a sixth installment was in the works. Ten years later, we're still waiting. So, what's going on with "Die Hard 6"? Would Willis be involved? Can a "Die Hard" movie even happen without him? We're going to go over everything we know about the proposed sixth cinematic adventure with John McClane. Let's get into it.

One major factor that seemingly curbed "Die Hard 6" was Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019. Even before the massive, multi-billion-dollar deal was finalized, executives were being more selective about what they were giving the green light to. In the aftermath of the deal, Disney was busy combining two massive companies into one. Before that dust even had a chance to settle, the pandemic hit in early 2020, effectively shutting down all of Hollywood for an entire year. The industry is still recovering from that in many ways.

More recently though, it became clear that whatever plans for a sequel that existed would have to, at the very least, be retooled. In March of 2022, Willis' family revealed that the actor has been suffering from aphasia, which impacts one's ability to communicate over time. At the time, his Rumor Willis released a statement, saying the following:

"We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

If the idea was, indeed, to do a sequel of any kind, that is now off the table as Willis is effectively retired. That doesn't mean the franchise can't continue but if it does, it will have to be without the star who made the franchise what it is. That could make it more difficult to get the project off the ground, admittedly.

Way back in February 2013, before "A Good Day to Die Hard" came out, Bruce Willis was asked if a sixth movie was happening and he simply said "Yes." Two years later in 2015, director Len Wiseman, who was at one point set to return for the sixth installment, revealed that the film would be titled "Die Hard: Year One."

pic.twitter.com/4HTtdoNj33

— len wiseman (@LenWiseman) October 15, 2015

The idea was that a younger actor would step in and play a young John McClane back when he was merely a cop in New York City before the incident at Nakatomi Plaza that turned him into a hero. However, it was also revealed that Willis would return as well, with the movie serving as both a prequel and a sequel. Development stalled at some point and, in 2018, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed that the movie would simply be titled "McClane," signaling that the project was very much alive. "You can tell our intention by the fact that the title page we handed in says, McClane," di Bonaventura said at the time. "We want you to get invested in John McClane more than ever before." He also addressed Willis' involvement, saying the following:

"I don't know how you do Die Hard without Bruce...The idea that he's not very significant in this movie is not accurate at all. We are gonna explore John McClane in his twenties. But just as prominent is the 60-year-old version."

In fairness, even before Willis' retirement, di Bonaventura poured cold water on the project. "It's not happening," di Bonaventura told Polygon in 2021. "But what was really interesting was we actually came up with an idea to do it. It was a project that wasn't Die Hard that then, eventually, shifted over to Die Hard." So, in short, whatever plans previously excited have been scrapped.

As mentioned earlier, money talks and, eventually, Disney will look at the more than $1.4 billion that these movies have generated at the box office over the years — not to mention money from other revenue streams — and look to do something with the franchise. That could take the form of a pure prequel with a younger actor playing John McClane. As it just so happens, we have some idea of what that might look like.

Way back in 2009, Boom! Studios published a comic book series titled "Die Hard: Year One" that took place in the '70s and focused on a younger McClane as a beat cop in NYC. The series was written by Howard Chaykin with art by Stephen Thompson. As for the story? The synopsis for the book reads as follows:

"Every great action hero got started somewhere: Batman Began. Bond had his Casino Royale. And for John McClane, more than a decade before the first Die Hard movie, he's just another rookie cop, an East Coast guy working on earning his badge in New York City during 1976's Bicentennial celebration. Too bad for John McClane, nothing's ever that easy."

That story would not require Bruce Willis. As for whether or not audiences would accept a "Die Hard" movie without him? That's another question entirely. There's also the matter of whether or not a prequel would even be compelling enough to justify a story, as McClane was just a cop before the events of the original 1988 film. If something else extraordinary happened to him before that night, wouldn't we have at least heard about it in one of the other sequels? Setting those questions aside, this is a potentially viable path forward.

Given that the "McClane" pitch as envisioned has since been abandoned, any rumored casting from years prior has gone out the window. It's also crystal clear that Bruce Willis would not be involved in any potential version of "Die Hard 6." So any possible casting at this stage would be wild speculation or fancasting and nothing more. That said, if Disney wanted to take a "pass the torch" approach, they could bring back Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy McClane.

Winstead played McClane's daughter in both "Live Free or Die Hard" and "A Good Day to Die Hard." Back in 2016 while speaking to Fandango, the actress explained that she would not only be game for reprising the role but that she would seemingly be game to do a solo movie of some kind. "I've always wanted to take over the McClane name. I'm more than ready!" she said at the time. Would that approach really work without having Willis pass the torch? It's admittedly tough to picture. So, more than likely, we'd be looking at a totally fresh start with a completely new cast.