Evangelion Movie to be Released Following Major Leaks (And Its Landing Sooner Than You Think)

March 7, 2026, 10:10am

Earlier this year, as a part of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s thirtieth anniversary, the beloved anime franchise confirmed that a new series was in the works. While the details surrounding this new entry in NERV’s history remain a mystery, Studio Khara is planned to helm the project with legendary creator Yoko Taro leading the charge. While this news is big enough on its own, a major controversy has been surrounding Shinji Ikari and his fellow Eva pilots. The original anime short film that was created by franchise creator Hideaki Anno has been leaked across the internet, but an official release is on the way, dropping sooner than you might think.

Videos by ComicBook.com

The original short film, focusing on the Eva pilot known as Asuka Langley, and lo and behold, it is available to watch right now. That’s right, Studio Khara stated that the short would land on its official YouTube Channel on March 7th, 10 AM Eastern, which means you can watch it for yourself below. Here’s the official Khara statement regarding the surprise release, “As March 8 marks exactly five years since the theatrical release of “EVANGELION:3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME”, we are pleased to announce that this short animation will be officially released on Khara’s official YouTube channel starting at 12:00 a.m. JST on March 8. As previously communicated, we have been making significant efforts to address the spread of illegally recorded and leaked footage of this work on social media. We therefore kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation, and encourage everyone to watch it on Khara’s official YouTube channel.”

Evangelion’s Wild Ride

As mentioned earlier, many leakers were filming the recently released short film, sharing Asuka’s new story to the world. Attempting to crack down on the bootleg, Khara released the following statement, “We have confirmed unauthorized recording at “EVANGELION:30+;” STAGE AREA performances and the unauthorized reposting sharing of such content online. These acts are strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.
As the organizer, we will review posts and take strict measures as necessary. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

For those who have not delved into this latest film, it focuses on Asuka delivering a monologue to the anime audience, discussing her life and potential future. While the short movie is definitely tongue-in-cheek, it also shares some surprising moments that threw many for a loop. One scene in particular sees Asuka imagining a future with Shinji, imagining the two getting married, settling down, and starting a family. Considering how the Evangelion franchise ended in both the original television series and the quartet of films, giving a happy ending to any of these characters almost seems foreign.

At present, the next Evangelion anime has yet to reveal any story details. It would be hard to believe that it could be a sequel story, leaving us to believe that it could potentially be a reboot. With no release date revealed as of yet, fans might be waiting some time to see what this new take on NERV looks like.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!