Summary
I’m really hopingI Am Legend 2works out since it could open the door for the Will Smith sequel I’ve waited 16 years for. Smith’s return to play Robert Neville in a newI Am Legendmovie has certainly generated a lot of buzz, indicating that the project has a great deal of potential. If the film, which will also feature Michael B. Jordan, performs as well as is anticipated, then we could see a slew of other movies from Smith in the near future. Hopefully, this would include the long-anticipated sequel to another popular Smith movie of the 2000s—Hancock.
Hancock(2008)was released just a year afterI Am Legendand was a fair success at the box office, bringing in $630 million globally. Of course, this was the year that Hollywood’s Superhero Bang began, withIron ManandThe Dark Knightreleased in 2008 as well. For this reason,it was assumed thatHancockwould end up with a sequel, and a script was even put in the works in 2009. Unfortunately, such a film never came to be. Now, 16 years later, Smith’sI Am Legendis getting a sequelinstead. While this isn’t the movie I wanted. I’m hoping it’s at least the first step.
Every Upcoming Will Smith Movie
Will Smith looks to be making a comeback after the infamous Oscar slap, with Bad Boys: Ride or Die becoming one of the most popular films of 2024.
I Am Legend 2’s Success Would Make A Will Smith Hancock Sequel More Likely
Hancock 2 Might Just Need A Little Push
There’s a lot of risk involved with releasing a sequel so long after the original.I Am Legend 2will have quite a challengeto overcome since it must justify its own existence while carrying an old story forward. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that audiences will head to theaters to watch Smith pick up a role from 17 years ago. Predicting the movie’s success is even more complicated, considering theaters have struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic. UntilI Am Legend 2releases, we don’t know whether Smith’s return will be profitable.
Of course, ifI Am Legend 2does well, then a great deal of the unknown will be cleared away for a potentialHancocksequel. There won’t be nearly as much risk, and theproduction budget and general expectations can be adjusted based on the profitability ofI Am Legend 2. The inverse is also true. If Smith’s return to play the post-apocalyptic scientist isn’t successful, then gettingHancock 2back off the ground likely won’t happen. This is a bit frustrating sinceHancockdeserved a sequel more thanI Am Legend.
Hancock Needs A Sequel Way More Than I Am Legend
Hancock Was Better Suited For A Sequel
The news thatI Am Legendwas getting a sequel was a bit of a surprise since the 2007 movie was based on the stand-alone novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. What’s more, Smith’s character died at the end, sacrificing his life so that the world could get a cure for the zombie outbreak. Of course, the upcoming sequel will take a different route, using the originalI Am Legend’s alternative ending(in which Neville lives) to launch Smith’s return. Still, this is a lot of work to make a sequel whenHancockwas already perfectly set up for a continued story.
This is a lot of work to make a sequel when Hancock was already perfectly set up for a continued story.
2008’sHancockwas the perfect superhero origin story, and the implication was always that more movies would be forthcoming. Smith’s character was unique among Marvel or DC cinematic heroes, and there was a lot of promising development that could have happened here. While the better part of two decades has come and gone, all of this is still true. It would have made more sense forHancock 2to come first and for a potentialI Am Legendsequel to then happen depending on the superhero movie’s performance. Unfortunately, that’s not the situation we are in.
Why Will Smith’s Hancock 2 Still Hasn’t Happened
The Stars Haven’t Yet Aligned
While I would love to see aHancock2movie announced in the coming years, it would have been much preferred if it had happened years ago. As previously mentioned, the project was greenlit back in 2009, only a year afterHancockwas released. Writers Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara (DexterandThe Shield) were hired to write the script, but nothing ever came of it. According to director Peter Berg (viaSlashFilm),creative clashes were to blame forHancock 2never happening, with Smith and his agent apparently butting heads with the creatives responsible for the sequel.
With so many problems associated with aHancocksequel and so much time passed, it’s difficult to say whether the movie will ever happen. My best hope would be the success ofIAm Legend 2, which may increase nostalgia for other 2000s films while showing Hollywood that it would be worth the gamble. Only time will tell, but I plan to buy a ticket to see the coming zombie/vampire sequel, even if it’s just to giveHancock2its best possible shot.
Hancock 2
Cast
Hancock 2 was a planned sequel to the 2008 superhero action film. Continuing around the ideas established in the first film, which centered around a superpowered immortal man and woman, Hancock 2 would introduce a third member to the group with similar powers. As of 2020, the film has yet to enter production.
I Am Legend 2
I Am Legend 2 is a sequel to the 2007 film that sees Will Smith reprise his role as Dr. Robert Neville. Despite the theatrical release of the original film showing Neville’s demise, the film picks up where the alternate ending left off, with Neville surviving and heading off to spread the cure.
