Despite two attempts to reboot the character, Ron Perlman is the one and only true Hellboy to many. The beloved actor first wore the red prosthetics 21 years ago in 2004’s Hellboy, directed by none other than Guillermo del Toro. Perlman and del Toro returned four years later for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Despite both movies being major hits with fans and critics, they were never considered to be financially successful by studios. As a result, del Toro’s planned Hellboy threequel was scrapped. But many, including Perlman, are eager for del Toro’s Hellboy universe to return.
During an interview with That Hashtag Show, Perlman said he’s ready to return as the titular demon for a third movie, and he only has one demand… thankfully, it’s one that the entire fan base can agree on. “For Guillermo I would,” Perlman immediately answered when asked about a potential return. Since The Golden Army, David Harbor played Hellboy in the panned 2019 reboot — even though Harbor was great as Hellboy, the film itself was far from the quality of del Toro’s offerings. Just last year, Jack Kesy took on the role in Hellboy: The Crooked Man, which was also slighted by most critics.
During the interview, Perlman revealed he’s received offers from other directors to return as Hellboy, with many believing that includes the 2019 reboot. However, he showed his loyalty to del Toro. “I’ve had opportunities to play him for other people and I passed,” he revealed. Perlman continued:
“That’s his franchise as far as I’m concerned, and I’m his boy.”
Could Guillermo del Toro Ever Return for ‘Hellboy 3’?
Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy universe is undoubtedly the most beloved among fans of the character. From the moment the credits rolled on The Golden Army in 2008, fans have been desperate to see del Toro and Ron Perlman return to complete the trilogy. However, even Hellboy’s creator, Mike Mignola, thinks the trilogy is nothing more than a pipe dream now. Mignola created Hellboy back in 1993, with the comic being published by Dark Hose Comics. Mignola worked closely with del Toro on both movies, but even he has given up hope for Hellboy 3.
“I just can’t see him coming back to doing Hellboy again,” Mignola told Forbes in 2024, while promoting The Crooked Man. Despite the passion of the fan base and Perlman fueling the desire for the trilogy, Mignola believes del Toro is simply too busy with his various upcoming projects, including a new retelling of Frankenstein, to return for Hellboy 3. “It was kind of a dream thing, but I don’t think it was ever realistic,” Mignola concluded.
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Whether del Toro returns to complete the trilogy or not, every Hellboy fan waits on tenterhooks for one thing: another good Hellboy adaptation. Since del Toro and Perlman’s departure from the franchise, the character’s big screen outings have been in disarray. 2019’s Hellboy was almost universally hated (holding a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The Crooked Man received some praise from fans, as the latest reboot attempted to dig into the horror of the original comics. But, it still fell short of expectations, holding a slightly better 39% on RT.
