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When Kick-Ass hit theaters in 2010, it was met with widespread approval and made a respectable $96 million worldwide. Its 2013 sequel, Kick-Ass 2, had the opposite effect, as it garnered indifference and scoffs from critics, and only managed to gather $60 million from worldwide audiences. As enjoyable a franchise as Kick-Ass is and very well could be with future installments, the chances of a third film getting made aren’t looking too good right now.

Earlier this month, comic book writer Mark Millar, who penned three Kick-Ass comics as well as a Hit-Girl spinoff, claimed that the chances of seeing Kick-Ass 3 were “up in the air,” but franchise co-star Chloe Grace Moretz isn’t optimistic.

When speaking with Digital Spy, the actress said:

“Hit-Girl was a very cool character, but I don’t think there will be any more movies. You make these movies for the fanboys, but nowadays everyone seems to pirate them rather than watch them in the movie theater. Kick-Ass 2 was one of the number one pirated movies of the year, but that doesn’t help us because we need box office figures. We need to prove to the distributors that we can make money from a third and a fourth movie – but because it didn’t do so well, we can’t make another one. If you want more than one movie, everyone has to go and see movies at the cinema. It’s all about the numbers in the theater.”

Box office numbers are one thing, but actor availability might be another nail in the Kick-Ass 3 coffin. Moretz is a rising star who appeared in six films this year, with more added to her resume on a regular basis. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played the franchise’s titular teenager-turned-vigilante, is in a similar boat and picking up franchise films left and right. He was in this year’s Godzilla reboot (and could show up in the 2018 sequel), is rumored to have a role in Fifty Shades of Grey, and will play the speedster Quicksilver in Marvel’s upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

If his character is well received, he could very well become a regular member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Could he really find the time to ditch Quicksilver’s blue and silver supersuit for Kick-Ass’ iconic green and yellow-striped garb? And if so, would he really want to?

We’ll never say never, as Sin City: A Dame to Kill For just proved that comic book film sequels can very well hit theaters years after their previous installments (though its mediocre opening weekend at the box office is certainly no sign of confidence), so maybe there’s a chance we’ll see Kick-Ass 3 sometime. Or, if enough time has passed, a reboot. This is Hollywood, after all.

Tell us, what are your thoughts on Kick-Ass 3? Are you on Moretz’s side, or Millar’s? Let us know in the comments below.