Nope Director Jordan Peele Confirms Evangelion Fan-Theory

By Megan Peters

Jordan Peele's Nope is a credit to its genre, and to this day, fans have more theories about the movie than answers. The sci-fi thriller dabbles in everything from horror to comedy with unsettling ease. Shortly after the film's release, netizens began wondering whether Nope's alien Jean Jacket happened to be derive in part from Neon Genesis Evangelion. And now, Peele has confirmed his creature did take a cue from the iconic anime.

Recently, Peele addressed the fan-theory while on an episode of Josh Horowitz's podcast Happy Sad Confused. It was there the director-writer was asked if Jean Jacket's design was tied to the anime, and Peele had the following to say:

"The Evangelion angels are based on the Biblical angels. I didn't want to be sort of literal that Jean Jacket or this ocular Nimbus species is an angel, but I do think that there is something about where evolution and design collide that leaves doors open that may or may not be answered in the future."

Of course, this comment only confirms a suspicion that was solidified by Nope's production notes. The commentary mentions Evangelion by name and uses its "biomechanical design flair" to describe Jean Jacket's race. Of course, fans of Evangelion were quick to note how the Nope alien mimicked Angels from the anime such as Ramiel and Armisael. And at their core, the designs from Evangelion and Nope have their origins in the Christian Bible.

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As Peele continues to expand his portfolio, moviegoers will hopefully learn more about Jean Jacket's kind and any more similarities it shares with Evangelion's Angels. Anime fans know just how terrifying the otherworldly creatures are, and Nope makes it clear that ocular Nimbuses are just as scary. So if Peele wants to try his hand at mecha one day, we can only hope he'll eye Eva Suits for a little inspiration. 

What do you think about this latest example of anime's influence in Hollywood? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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