During an interview with Agence France-Presse, director Hideaki Anno talked about growing up during the Cold War, and some of his long-time fears that shaped his future works.

"There was a real sense that if atomic war broke out, the world would be destroyed... That was the reality at the time, that fear of Armageddon... I sincerely thought that the world would end in the 20th century."

Anno went on to talk about how this fear manifested itself in the creation of Evangelion , saying, "It was a big influence on Evangelion , which is about what happens after the world has been destroyed. At that time a lot of Japanese anime dealt with what happens after a nuclear holocaust."

He added, "Japan... is a country where merciless [natural] destruction happens naturally. It gives you a strong sense that God exists out there."

As for the logistics of adapting Evangelion as a live-action work, Anno said, "I don't think it would work... You would have to remake it totally, and then it would be something different, so I don't see it ever happening."