One of 1997’s biggest hit is back — with a twist. In a new Super Bowl commercial from General Motors, the self-proclaimed "world's greatest villain" Dr. Evil — from the Austin Powers franchise — is tasked with saving the world before he can take it over. The new spot sees some of the cast of the parody films reuniting for a new villainous plan that might end up helping the world more than hurting it.
While Austin himself does not appear in the commercial, Mike Myers does reprise his role as Dr. Evil alongside Seth Green, Rob Lowe, and Mindy Sterling as their villainous counterparts. The ad spot, titled Dr. EV-il — a play on the acronym for Electric Vehicles — sees the group take over General Motors headquarters and use their Ultium Platform for their operation. At the behest of Scott Evil (Green) and Frau Farbissina (Sterling), Evil chooses to control the world by making it better. The ad features some good banter between Scott and Evil, with the former introducing his son, which Dr. Evil quickly claims as his own, much to Scott's chagrin.
“We are using climate change as the enemy,” says Deborah Wahl, General Motors’ global chief marketing officer. The brand is seeking to increase their fleet of electric vehicles, and hopes that its efforts will inspire others to reduce their carbon footprint. “It’s a very positive message about saving the world,” Myers added in an interview with People. “I was like, that’s a positive message for my three kids, so I’m in.” Myers recently signed with General Motors to advertise several models in their electric vehicle lineup. “The only thing I know is that Mike took a very first-hand, personal interest in shaping the script,” Green added, “so that it not only accurately represented the characters in the narrative, but also sold the product in way that the company was happy with."
The Austin Powers franchises retains one of the most loyal fanbases in pop culture despite its last film Austin Powers in Goldmember, debuting in 2002. Even for sixty seconds, fans are sure to enjoy the reappearance of their favorite supervillain and his lackeys. “It really does feel like the band that has been playing together for thirty years,” Green commented. Myers expressed similar feelings, describing the experience as “not missing a beat, it’s like it was five minutes ago.”
Like many Super Bowl spots, this isn’t General Motor’s first time pulling in some well-known names. Last year, the car company cast Will Ferrell in their Super Bowl ad, which saw the comedian gathering celebrities in his quest to sell more electric cars and destroy Norway. This year’s spot is set to air during the Super Bowl’s third quarter on Sunday, February 13. Check out the full ad below: