Despite the fact that the recent fourth sequel (released earlier this year as A Good Day To Die Hard) failed to impress both fans and critics alike, it seems that Hollywood - and Bruce Willis himself - are still keen to get iconic hero John McClane back in the saddle one last time. At least, we hope it'll be the last time. The fifth sequel to 1988's Die Hard, currently going by the working title "Die Hardest," will focus on Willis' sardonic New York cop as he attends an anniversary dinner in Tokyo, Japan, to celebrate his heroic acts at the Nakatomi Plaza 30 years previously. Of course, it's expected that things won't pan out quite as McClane expects them to - less cake and champagne, more guns and explosions. As of now, more details are confined to just speculations, with pretty much every character to have ever appeared in the franchise - from Al Powell to Lucy McClane - having been "rumoured" to return at some point. In a recent, exclusive interview with the movie's screenwriter, Ben Treblicook, however, WhatCulture discovered that there are plans to bring back the franchise's second most popular character: Zeus Carver. Zeus Carver, of course, was played memorably by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson in the third Die Hard movie, subtitled With A Vengeance. Fans have been clamouring for the return of this character after he formed a hilarious and unlikely friendship with John McClane in New York and helped him to defeated Jeremy Irons' batty terrorist Simon Gruber. Here's what Treblicook had to say about the inclusion of Mr. Carver, and the way in which he hopes to get Samuel L. Jackson to agree to reprise the part (hint: it involves swords):
"Yes, I've written Zeus Carver in for Samuel L Jackson," said Treblicook. "Like I said before, it's not a buddy-buddy script, but you can't ignore him. Zeus played a major part in McClane's life. They went through a lot together. They would certainly, without a doubt, still be in contact. A guy I know, Stel, wrote the 51st State (aka Formula 51) with Sam the Man. I put the idea to him and he said Sam would probably love to have a sword in a movie; that's how you could woo him."
What do you make of this revelation, then? Do you think Die Hardest has the potential to be the best movie in the franchise since the third flick? What do you make of the Nakatomi Plaza plot? Will bringing Zeus Carver back into the fray inject some new life into the series? Are you just totally pumped to see Samuel L. Jackson wielding a samurai sword? Let us know below.