Modern cinema is dominated by franchises. A successful first outing is quickly followed by a sequel, then a third movie and before you know it you have yourself a movie universe. That’s how we live in a world with over 20 Marvel movies, 10 Fast and Furious movies, and many other series reaching 5, 6, 7 instalments. But not everything finds this kind of success. There are plenty of examples of great movies that seemed ripe for a sequel but never got one, or series that seemed destined to grow only to stop abruptly. Let’s take a look at some awesome movies that definitely deserve a sequel and delve into what that sequel might look like…
U.S. Marshals (1998)
1993s The Fugitive is an all-time great action movie. Harrison Ford is Dr Richard Kimble, sent to death row for the murder of his wife. When he escapes custody he tries to find the real killer, whilst being pursued by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (played by Tommy Lee Jones in an Oscar-winning performance) and his team. A few years later, Jones returned as Gerard in U.S. Marshals. This time he and his squad of marshals are after Wesley Snipes and joined by FBI agent John Royce, played by Robert Downey Jr. It may not quite match the standard of The Fugitive but it’s still a movie I find incredibly entertaining and I would love to have seen more from the team of US Marshals.
If There Was A Sequel To U.S Marshals
With Tommy Lee Jones pushing 75 he might not want to lead an action movie. A perfect opportunity for Joe Pantoliano, who plays the superbly named Cosmo Renfro, to step up as lead Marshal. Failing that Robet Downey Jr could probably carry a movie. Maybe his character has grown frustrated at the FBI and moved onto the US Marshals office. Maybe they get involved on an old case so can at least visit with a retired Sam Gerard. In both The Fugitive and U.S. Marshals, they are on the tail of someone wrongly accused, this time let’s get a big name into play the accused and have them just be bad!
Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
Peter Weir is a director of quality rather than quantity, and this is one of his very best. Indeed, if it weren’t for The Lord Of The Rings The Return Of The King it would easily be my favourite movie of 2003. The story of Russell Crowe’s Captain Aubrey and Paul Bettany’s Dr is an epic seafaring adventure, as an English ship plays cat and mouse with a French vessel. The movie was nominated for 10 Oscars, and picked up two, losing out in every other category to The Return Of The King.
If There Was A Sequel To Master and Commander
The first movie draws bits and pieces from 13 different books in Patrick O’Brien’s series. However, there is no shortage of source material for further entries, with over 20 published books in the series. The events take place during the Napoleonic Wars so plenty of potential for more ocean battles and intrigue. Russell Crowe himself has suggested a sequel should be made and shown his support.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Incredible Hulk almost seems to be the forgotten entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU’s second movie starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk but he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo for the subsequent Avengers movies. Ruffalo was also a prominent part of Thor: Ragnarok but there has yet to be a second solo outing for the big green monster whilst the other principal Avengers have had plenty.
If There Was A Sequel To The Incredible Hulk
We know that Ruffalo will have a role in the DisneyPlus show She-Hulk, which might open up the possibility for future movie appearances. Given his importance and prominence in the MCU though, Hulk definitely deserves a sequel of his own. Last seen in Endgame, a movie could deal with the fallout from the events there, in which Banner lost three of his closest friends in Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. Where does he go from there? Alternatively, the upcoming Black Widow movie sees MCU turning backwards and filling in some gaps in their stories, which could be an option here. What happened to Banner after Age Of Ultron, and how did he end up in space, where he turned up in Thor: Ragnarok?
The Adventures Of TinTin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (2011)
There was something of a creative dream team behind 2011s TinTin movie with Steven Spielberg directing and Peter Jackson producing. The cast wasn’t bad either, with Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost adding their voices to motion-capture performances. The film is a great adventure story and did well at the box office and even earned an Oscar nomination for John Williams’ score. With plenty of books in the TinTin canon, there was and is plenty of scope for a sequel and even more. The idea seemed to be that Spielberg and Jackson would swap roles for the sequel meaning Jackson would direct but 10 years on from the original there is no sign of the sequel the movie deserves!
If There Was A Sequel To TinTin
With plenty of books in the TinTin canon, there was and is plenty of scope for a sequel and even more. The idea seemed to be that Spielberg and Jackson would swap roles for the sequel meaning Jackson would direct but 10 years on from the original there is no sign of the sequel the movie deserves! What book(s) would be adapted for a sequel remains unconfirmed, with various titles suggested. There’s also the possibility of merging two stories into one movie. There have been hints in the suggestions of a bigger role for detectives Thomson and Thompson and the introduction of TinTin’s friend Professor Calculus.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies are as perfect as a trilogy as you could hope to see, so this might not be an obvious candidate as a movie that deserves a sequel. Christian Bale’s Batman saw off the menace of Scarecrow, Joker and Bane and the final movie wrapped things up nicely.
If There Was A Sequel To The Dark Knight Rises
Nolan finished The Dark Knight rises with a hint of more to come. It may just have been Nolan teasing his audience but the reveal that Blake’s (Joseph Gordon-Lovitt) real name is Robin and his discovery of the Batcave is a tantalising way to end. Could Robin carry a movie on his own? Could Bale return as an older Batman? Given the ups and downs of the DC universe, it would be great to have another entry from Nolan!
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
JJ Abrams got the rebooted Star Trek movies underway, directing the first two instalments, before Justin Lin took over for part 3, 2016s Star Trek Beyond. All three movies are great fun, mixing space action with plenty of humour. Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (Bones), Simon Pegg (Scott), Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and John Cho (Sulu) are all perfectly cast and seemingly enjoying themselves immensely. The movies were well received and did decent box-office numbers but a fourth movie has yet to arrive.
If There Was A Sequel To Star Trek Beyond
There have been plenty of rumours and reports of what a fourth Star Trek might look like. They have included the signing up of the main stars to a fourth entry in this version of the Star Trek universe, the return of Chris Hemsworth after his brief cameo in the first film, and the involvement of Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino directing a space movie? Who wouldn’t want to see that!
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Yes, I know it’s only been out for a few weeks but it deserves a sequel! You’ll no doubt know that Snyder left work on the original Justice League for personal reasons, with the studio choosing Joss Whedon to oversee the final product. The reaction was lukewarm at best and fans longed to see Snyder’s original vision, launching the #releasethesnydercut hashtag on social media. And the campaign worked! Warner Bros saw an opportunity to hype up its new streaming service, HBO Max, by releasing the Snyder Cut on that platform.
If There Was A Sequel To Justice League
With its revamped storyline, fleshed-out characters, and more impressive visuals, the reaction for this version has been much more positive. The credits had barely finished rolling before #restorethesynderverse was a thing! Snyder’s original vision included several films, continuing the adventures of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman and Flash. With Steppenwolf defeated things are set up nicely for Darkseid himself to lead an attack on Earth as he seeks to dominate the world and retrieve the anti-life equation. Snyder even gave a hint of darker things to come in the movie’s epilogue via Bruce Wayne’s nightmare vision of the future. However, WB seems to have moved on from the Justice League (there’s about to be another Batman, after all) and Snyder has detailed his vision extensively in interviews, further ruling out future movies given he has spoiled the plot!
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of movies out there that audiences would like to spend more time with. Characters, stories and worlds that need more exploration. Sequels will often have less risk than an original property so you know never what’s on the cinematic horizon. Great example: Top Gun: Maverick is likely to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2021 when it is finally released later this year, despite it being 23 years since the release of the original Top Gun. It goes to show there is always hope for a sequel!
What movie do you think deserves a sequel? Let us know in the comments.
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