I am Legend is finally being made with Will Smith returning as Robert Neville, giving fans enough reason to get excited.
Will Smith is returning for I Am Legend 2, and how the actor is handling his career could mean good news for the sequel. Taking many by surprise, it has been reported that a sequel to I Am Legend is in the works at Warner Bros. In addition to the return of Will Smith, I Am Legend 2 will also feature Michael B.'s film.
It's been 15 years since I Am Legend, and the film's controversial ending felt so definitive that I Am Legend 2 with Will Smith seemed highly unlikely, let alone impossible. Will Smith's character, Robert Neville, died in I Am Legend, The alternate ending of I am Legend saw Neville survive, something that I Am Legend 2 could take as canon.
Will Smith rarely makes supplements. Except for Bad Boys and Men In Black, audiences won't see Independence Day and the Hancock actor reprising their roles. This specific approach to his career is understandable given that Smith is one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood and one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. Not only will Smith have time to return to all his characters, but it will also be difficult to replicate the same success of the first films in other parts. All of this makes his comeback as Robert Neville in I Am Legend 2 even more special. For an actor who's picky about their roles, the return of Part Two should mean I Am Legend 2 has something different. The movie will benefit from Will Smith's star power, but it should also have a script or at least a premise, that's interesting enough to pique the actor's interest. Given that the sequels to Bad Boys and Men In Black were entertaining at least, with the box office hits on Men In Black 3 and Bad Boys For Life, in particular, I Am Legend 2 could go down a similar path.
There were plenty of opportunities for Will Smith to return for the sequel. Independence Day: Emergence, a follow-up to the 1996 film, which until the release of Aladdin was the highest-grossing film of Smith's career. Completed drafts included Captain Stephen Heller as part of the story, but the character had to be cut because the actor did not want to return. At the time, Smith said he preferred trying new things and ended up taking on the role of Deadshot on Suicide Squad. Interestingly, Will Smith has not returned to The Suicide Squad, even though the first film was the third biggest hit of his career after Aladdin and Independence Day. Bright, Will Smith's other collaboration with Suicide Squad director David Ayer has been announced for a sequel on Netflix, but no further updates have been announced about the project or Will Smith's return.
Audiences may be concerned that I Am Legend 2 will happen long after the first movie, but Will Smith's return bodes well for production in terms of story quality and prospects for financial success. I Am Legend 2 will not only have all the star power of Will Smith but also showcase the rising talents of Michael B Jordan as an actor and producer. Although not much is known about the story of I Am Legend 2, the truth is that the movie is shaping up to be a sequel that is at least worth the viewers' time.