My Hero Academia hints ‘Three Musketeers’ theme in 3rd film

If the words “Plus Ultra” gets you pumped up, chances are, you’re going to love this piece of news.

Smash hit superhero manga and anime My Hero Academia is reportedly working on a third feature film centered on a mighty adventure featuring its three main characters, according to a key visual leaked by Twitter account Shonen Jump News.

The key visual comes from three separate illustration released in parts across the official My Hero Academia Twitter accounts and reported on a tweet from @WSJ_manga. Combined into one poster, the image hints of an appearance by the still vague “Three Musketeers.”

My Hero Academia Movie 3 has been announced with a Key Visual https://t.co/g1rctvd1M9 pic.twitter.com/Tjc5zW7Dub

— Shonen Jump News - Unofficial (@WSJ_manga) November 23, 2020

The linked piece shows the trio of Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki – three of the most promising teen heroes in the My Hero Academia universe – all wearing dark, tactical-looking battle suits that veers away from their traditional superhero uniforms. On the shoulder, there is a badge embellished with a patch bearing the initials “WHA.” The picture also comes with this somewhat cryptic sentence: “He will meet ‘The Three Musketeers.'”

Judging by these clues, the next My Hero Academia movie may be heading towards an epic trio-style adventure reminiscent of the tale of The Three Musketeers, a classical novel by French author Alexandre Dumas.

An interesting note is the motto of its characters: “One for all, all for one.” In My Hero Academia, “One for All” is the name of the quirk that protagonist Izuku inherited from his mentor, All Might. Meanwhile, his arch enemy and the series’ main supervillain is named “All for One.”

So far, the anime adaptation closely follows the storyline established by the manga, with the canon arcs remaining as they should be. On the other hand, the feature films tend to focus on original stories.

The first film, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, delved on the mentor and disciple relationship between All Might and Izuku. For the second film, titled Heroes Rising, the theme revolved around the complex rivalry and competition between Izuku and Katsuki. The upcoming third film may very well herald the arrival of "Ice and Flame" hero Shoto Todoroki into a force to be reckoned with, turning the already fierce rivalry into an exciting three-way deadlock.

Apart from the poster, no other details have been divulged for the third My Hero Academia film. For the meantime, fans must eagerly wait for the fifth season of the anime, scheduled to premiere on the second quarter of 2021.

For mobile gamers, My Hero Academia Ultra Impact’s first closed beta test just concluded recently, paving the way for an imminent launch.