I Am Legend 2: Everything We Know So Far About The Sequel Starring Will Smith And Michael B. Jordan
On March 4, Will Smith's post-apocalyptic blockbuster "I Am Legend" made headlines with the announcement of a long-awaited sequel. And now, we're here to tell you everything we possibly can about it, because you're obviously quite curious to have actually clicked on the link in this day and age where people typically opt to read headlines and nothing more. It's only right to reward you for your effort by giving you the rundown on the plot, cast, and other information that we have managed to gather for "I Am Legend 2."
The cast and crew of I Am Legend 2
Actor Michael B. Jordan — Killmonger in "Black Panther," for you Marvel nerds — is set to both star in and co-produce the film, following his directorial debut with "Creed III." Additionally, "I Am Legend 2" will see the return of Will Smith who will be reprising his original role as scientist Robert Neville from the first film. Smith will also serve as a producer for the film alongside Oscar winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the first film and will also serve as a writer for the upcoming sequel.
Who is directing I Am Legend 2?
With Goldsman back as a writer and producer, can we expect director Francis Lawrence to return as well? No director has officially boarded the project yet. What's more, Lawrence and Goldsman are reuniting on one project already — the forthcoming sequel to 2005's "Constantine" — so a second reunion may not be that far-fetched. The Australian filmmaker spoke to ComicBook.com about plans for future films, and spoke pretty favorably about coming back for an "I Am Legend" sequel:
"I have spoken to Akiva [Goldsman] a little bit about it, but I think that is still a ways away. I'd love to do it. I've heard some things about 'I Am Legend.' We actually don't have much, just brainstorming things for 'Constantine,' but I'm sworn to secrecy on 'I Am Legend.'"
It's nice to hear Lawrence expressing interest in a sequel to the 2007 film — especially since, until very recently, the director's been vocal about his disappointment with the ending. Lawrence originally wanted "I Am Legend" to end on a more subversive note, one that painted the Darkseekers in a more sympathetic light. Such an ending would have allowed Neville to survive the events of the film (allowing him to return in the sequel without a narrative loophole) — but it would have made Neville the bad guy in the final hour, which test audiences notably rejected. Maybe Lawrence now sees an opportunity to explore that ending anew in a sequel.
What will I Am Legend 2 be about?
Since the first "I Am Legend" deals with Neville's survival as the last living human in New York after a manmade virus ravages the population, perhaps the sequel will pick up in a timeline during which the cure he created has been made available and distributed. But will Neville (who most certainly died at the end of the film to preserve the recently developed cure) even be alive to see that happen?
It would be interesting to see a rift between the Darkseekers and cured/uninfected human beings, which would raise questions about humanity and how we define conditions in need of curing — what if some of the infected don't want to be cured? What if they have evolved and developed their own culture and means of survival that they're perfectly fine with? Who is anyone else to impose upon their way of life? On the other hand, if their way of life is inherently harmful to the existence of other populations, how fair is it to leave them be? These are elements that could make for an especially intriguing sequel as they would expand upon some of the more philosophical themes presented in the first film.
Perhaps the movie will retcon the ending of the first by incorporating the alternate ending as canon and picking up where those events left off. Of course, this is all pure speculation because we currently have no clue how far ahead in the timeline the "I Am Legend" sequel will be, how and to what capacity Smith's character will be featured, or who Jordan's character will be.
Where to watch I Am Legend
With so much still under wraps, there's not a whole lot to tide us over while we wait for "I Am Legend 2." Fortunately, that means there's plenty of time to revisit "I Am Legend" and speculate on what Goldsman, Smith and Jordan have cooking. Currently, "I Am Legend" is only available to rent, whether it be on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV or Vudu. Given that it's a Warner Bros. production though, there's a high chance that it'll pop up on HBO Max (or the new Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service) in the future, especially as "I Am Legend 2" starts to move forward.
In the meantime, we're committed to bringing you fresh and insightful news on "I Am Legend 2" and other movies and TV shows as it becomes available, so be sure to follow /Film on social media for more!