Christopher Lloyd Says 'Back To The Future 4' In Public, So React Accordingly

There are many potential roadblocks standing in the way of a Back to the Future 4, but the participation of the original Emmett "Doc" Brown is not one of them. The great Christopher Lloyd doesn't have the power to actually get a sequel off the ground, but according to a new interview, he certainly wouldn't say no if the project crossed his desk. So there you have it. An original cast member has said "back," "to," "the," "future," and "four" in public, in the right order. Cue the "Will a Back to the Future sequel happen?" chatter.

Read what Lloyd has to say about a potential Back to the Future 4 after the jump.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lloyd says that he is totally on board with playing Doc again in a new movie. You know, just as long as it's good, which is easier said than done:

I would love to do Doc again, no question ... It's tough to come up with an idea that contains the excitement of the original three. So it would be a real challenge for the writers to come up with an original Back to the Future story that has the same passion and intensity and excitement as the other three. But it could be done, you never know.

That's a crafty answer to this question. Yes, Lloyd would play the part again. Of course he would. But the originals were sooo good and unique and fun, that living up to them would be really hard and may not be worth it. But it's still possible! That is a word-class example of hedging your bets.

Of course, Lloyd's involvement in this entirely theoretical sequel has a few caveats – the whole crew would have to return. He even thinks Michael J. Fox would be willing and able to play Marty McFly one more time:

I think regardless of the Parkinson's, he'd probably jump on the role and he'd be great. I can't see doing another sequel without him. I would certainly want Bob Zemeckis directing it, Bob Gale writing it and the other principals being involved.

In other words, "this nearly impossible combination of talent will have to reunite for this movie to come into existence."

Of course, the big question is whether or not fans really, truly, deep down in their hearts, want a fourth Back to the Future movie. After all, the third film ended with a literal "The End" and placed all of the characters on uncertain, but hopeful paths. Knowing where Marty and Doc ended up in a few decades could spoil that conclusion, which is all about the unlimited possibilities of life and how we write our own futures. Plus, seeing a 77-year old Lloyd and a 54-year old Fox try to capture that same energy could be more deflating than fun.

If the stars aligned and a Back to the Future 4 did come together, it wouldn't be the first time Lloyd returned to his most famous character. Although he didn't voice Doc in the Back to the Future animated series that ran from 1991 through 1993, he did step in to provide live-action interludes, teaching the young audience about science between sequences of non-canon cartoon adventure:

He also returned to the character in Telltale Games' 2011 release, Back to the Future: The Game. Taking place after the events of the third film, it is probably the closest we'll ever get to a proper Back the Future 4, just told in another medium:

Lloyd also lent his voice to the new LEGO Dimensions video game, where Doc gets to brush shoulders with countless other pop culture figures in a giant sandbox of franchise-buckling madness. He even suited up as Doc in this really weird live-action trailer:

He is also set to play the character again in a new short film that will come bundled with the new Back to the Future trilogy box set. So yeah, Christopher Lloyd is definitely not tired of playing Emmett Brown, but it's up to everyone else to make a sequel happen. Whether or not Universal and Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale should even consider such a thing is a debate you can have in the comments below.