An epic action comedy with stylized visuals, extravagant action sequences, and killer tunes,Scott Pilgrim vs. the Worldnot only blew away movie fans, but it also defined Michael Cera as one of the top actors of his generation. A bass player from Toronto, Canada, Scott Pilgrim meets and falls in love with Ramona Flowers, a local quirky rollerblading girl. Unfortunately, Scott learns that he must battleRamona’s seven evil exesin an ultimate showdown to win the right to date her.
Based on the graphic novel series,Scott Pilgrimpresents a unique and clever means of storytelling, utilizing memorable characters and eye-popping visuals to create a true cult classic. However, it’s Cera who is the real standout of the film, and it’s clear that he and the rest oftheScott Pilgrimcasthad a blast making it. In fact, Cera once confessed that he had so much fun that he was somewhat heartbroken when production onScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldended.
He Bonded With The Cast & Wishes They Could Have Kept Filming
In 2024, Michael Cera appeared inGQ’s Michael Cera Breaks Down His Most Iconic CharactersonYouTube. Naturally, Scott Pilgrim was near the top of the list. Cera spoke of his admiration for director Edgar Wright, stating that he was a fan before ever meeting him, and was also a fan of theScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldgraphic novels. The young actor considered his being cast in the movie as “a dream come true” at the time.
Sadly, all dreams must end, andwhen shooting wrapped forScott Pilgrim vs. the World,Cera had a tough time letting go. He toldGQ:
“By the end of the movie, I felt like ‘This is my world. This is my group of friends.’ It kinda feels like ‘Oh, it’s always gonna be this way.’ And honestly I kind of was a little depressed when we were done because it all just goes away, and you’re like ‘Where did everybody go?’”
Such is the way of filmmaking, as Cera would later learn.Scott Pilgrim vs. the Worldwas his first big movie, after all. Plus, he had been doingArrested Developmentfor years, so he was not used to the brevity of film production. Even so, it makes sense that Cera would feel sad about saying farewell to the friends he’d made, and to all the fun they’d had. “I could have kept making that forever,” he wistfully recalled.
Personally, I can understand how Cera would feel that way. If I had the chance to hang out with theScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldcast for almost a year, and work on such an awesome movie, I wouldn’t want it to end, either.
Scott Pilgrim Is Michael Cera’s Career-Defining Role
Cera Captures Scott’s Flaws & Strengths
While it wasArrested Developmentthat got Michael Cera his big break, there is no question that playing Scott Pilgrim inScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldquickly becameCera’s most iconic role. Not only was the film hilariously over-the-top and visually hypnotic, but Cera completely embodied the character of Scott in every way. In fact, it’s almost impossible to separate the character from the actor, because the two of them seem to almost be the same person.
Not only did Cera capture Scott’s personality to a T, but he also perfectly depicted the evolution of Scott’s character arc with honesty and sincerity.
One of the most impressive feats that Cera accomplished wasmaking Scott Pilgrim both sympathetic and likable, despite the antagonist’s many flaws. As a 22-year-old with little direction or ambition (other than playing in a killer rock band), Scott starts out as selfish and immature. Yet over the course of the film, he realizes the mistakes he’s made and the hurt he’s caused, and tries to make things right. Not only did Cera capture Scott’s personality to a T, but he also perfectly depicted the evolution of Scott’s character arc with honesty and sincerity.
Every time I rewatchScott Pilgrim vs. the World,I’m blown away by how good Cera’s performance is. Maybe it was his former knowledge and love for the graphic novels, or perhaps he simply felt a personal connection with Scott’s character. Or maybe all of the above. Whatever the reason, Scott Pilgrim continues to be the role that Cera will always be known for.
Michael Cera’s Thoughts On Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
He Was, Of Course, Thrilled To Be Back With The Original Cast
Fourteen years after the release ofScott Pilgrim vs. the World,superfans of both the movie and theScott Pilgrimcomics saw their dreams become a reality when Netflix released the animated seriesScott Pilgrim Takes Off,in 2024. Amazingly,Scott Pilgrim Takes Offmanaged to reunite the entire original castfrom the movie to reprise their roles in voiceover, including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mae Whitman, Kieran Culkin, and Chris Evans.
10 Biggest Differences Between Scott Pilgrim’s Anime & Movie
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is the latest adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim story, and here’s how it compares to the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Instead of being a prequel, sequel, or remake,Scott Pilgrim Takes Offis an entirely new plot that takes place in theScott Pilgrimuniverse. In a retelling of the original story, Scott loses his fight against Ramona Flowers’s evil ex Matthew Patel, and seemingly dies. However, Ramona finds clues that Scott might still be alive, and decides to investigate his disappearance.
Bringing back the original cast ofScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldmay seem like an impossible quest, given the fact that so many of the actors have moved on to have very busy careers. However, according to the show’s creator and the author of the graphic novels, Bryan Lee O’Malley, everyone was excited to join the project — especially Cera. O’Malley told the Netflix zine,Tudum,
“Once Michael read it, he became a cheerleader for the rest of the cast. I think his enthusiasm went a long way for us."
The show’s producer and co-creator, BedDavid Grabinski, elaborated on Cera’s excitement about the animated series, saying:“We really appreciated Michael Cera’s enthusiasm for this new take on the story. He thought our ideas and our scripts were even funnier than we did.”
The Future Of The Scott Pilgrim Franchise
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Season 2 Isn’t Happening
Though it may have seemed like a risky move, Netflix’s faith in O’Malley was well founded, and to the surprise of no one,Scott Pilgrim Takes Offwas an acclaimed success, highly praised both by critics and longtime fans of the franchise. The only complaint viewers may have had was that the series only lasted for 8 episodes, leaving them hungry for more.
Unfortunately, as it is wont to do,Netflix decided not to move forward withScott Pilgrim Takes Offseason 2, effectively ending the beloved cult series. The official announcement came from a post on Bryan Lee O’Malley’sXprofile in November 2024:
“Anyway, we were recently informed that the show will NOT return. As you know, we only intended one season, and called in a lot of favors to make it happen, so making more would have been nearly impossible. Still, I know some of you have been holding out hope.”
As disappointing as this news might be, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is no chance for moreScott Pilgrimcontent in the future. At the very least, we know that a few of the cast members would be on board. In a 2024 interview withCBR, Scott Pilgrimactors Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Ellen Wongvoiced their eagerness to return to theScott Pilgrimuniverse.
“I think we are always gung-ho,”Winstead said.“It just has to do with what’s the next story.”Wong, who playedKnives Chau in theScott Pilgrimmovieand voiced her character in the animated series, chimed in her agreement, saying,“Totally. If BenDavid and Bryan have more, I am on board.”
At the moment, there’s also no word of aScott Pilgrim vs. the Worldfilm sequel in the works, but we can always keep our fingers crossed.
