Wayne's World jumped straight out of Saturday Night Live and onto the silver screen in 1992 to financial success and critical acclaim, and immediately made its mark on American pop culture with quotable lines and iconic characters. Its success spawned a sequel, Wayne's World 2, just a year later, but a third installment has never materialized. While there are several good reasons that Wayne's World 3 has not been made, there is recent hope that Wayne and Garth might once again party on at the theaters.
The original Wayne's World movie was a true surprise hit, as the oddball comedy that emerged from a skit raked in over $180M at the box office. It was also near-universally praised by critics who highlighted its meta humor, breaking of the fourth wall and lovable characters. The sequel did not fare nearly as well in either area, but there are reasons to think that Wayne's World 3 is a realistic possibility in the near future.
Wayne's World 3 Hasn't Happened For 3 Main Reasons
The most significant reason a third Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar adventure didn't follow up Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2 right away is because the sequel simply didn't fare as well. It made just $48M at the box office on a budget of $40M, and while critics didn't trash it many did mention that the jokes simply weren't as funny the second time around. Dana Carvey, the actor behind Garth Algar, also had a number of health issues arise in the late 90s, and eventually stepped away from the limelight to focus on his family.
The third reason Wayne's World 3 hasn't happened yet is rather simple – Mike Myers' career took off, and Wayne's World might have been considered a step backwards. In the late 1990s Myers became a megastar thanks to the Austin Powers movies, and he became an even bigger household name when he took over for the late Chris Farley as the voice of the eponymous ogre in Dreamworks' beloved animated film Shrek. As such, Myers' busy schedule limited time to return to the franchise.
Why Wayne's World 3 Could Still Happen
Wayne's World 3 remains a possibility, however. Both Tia Carrere and Dana Carvey have expressed interest in returning to their roles, which is obviously an important starting point. Mike Myers has not given much indication of his own interest in returning as Wayne Campbell, but given that his career seems to have stalled a bit, he could be open to revisiting his first movie role. While not the same as a movie, Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar have made appearances in other places as well. Myers and Carvey reprised their roles in a sketch at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, in a 2021 Super Bowl ad campaign for Uber Eats, and in appearances on Saturday Night Live where the characters originated.
It seems that there would be enough interest for a third Wayne's World movie to be successful, as enough time has ed for the film to have a strong nostalgia pull. 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music proved that a long-delayed comedy sequel could succeed at recapturing the magic of the original, and Wayne's World 3 would have just as much goodwill stored up as that sequel did. With total buy-in from its stars and a smart script that doesn't simply rehash the classic lines and jokes from the original, a third Wayne's World movie could be another surprise hit.
