Iron Lung director and star Markiplier says he isn't rushing into another project, but next time he doesn't need to star in his own movie

After winning big at the box office with his directorial debut Iron Lung, YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Markiplier is taking a break from the movie scene.

"I wish I could. And that’s not even me being coy. I owe my wife a few dinners and vacations before jumping into the next project," said Markipiler (real name Mark Fischbach) when asked if he could give fans a timeframe on when to expect his next project, in an interview with Deadline.

However, it sounds as though we won't have to wait too long to see what Markiplier does next. "When it comes to the next thing, I already have ideas. I usually know what I want to do before I’m done with the previous project. And now I actually have options," said the director.

Adapted from the 2022 video game of the same name, Iron Lung is written by, directed by, and stars Fischbach as a convict welded inside a submarine, in an ocean made of blood. However, the filmmaker doesn't feel the need "to star in everything," and may take more of a backseat next time. "I just have for the past 14 years because who else is going to do it? And I’m a YouTuber," added Fischbach. "For this next one, probably I’m going to be in a big cushy director’s chair, and I’m going to sink into it."

The movie hit cinemas on January 30 and grossed over $44 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. This is pretty impressive considering its $3 million budget and the fact that Markiplier ran the marketing campaign all by himself. According to Markiplier, this level of success "needed to happen" in order to "elevate what I want to do and be taken seriously."

Iron Lung is still thriving in cinemas, but afterwards, Markiplier wants to make the movie available to purchase digitally and at home " as soon as possible." The filmmaker has already made it clear that he wants the project to be as independent as possible from start to finish. "I might have to buy a bunch of Blu-ray burners and start burning Blu-rays on my own and shipping them out, manually, start an online store," added the star. "That kind of stuff is fun, [and] doesn’t scare me too much."

Iron Lung is out in theaters now. For more, check out our guide to the best horror movies, and keep up with upcoming horror movies heading your way.