Among some of Will Smith’s best movies sits the viral apocalypse thriller I Am Legend. Adapted from author Richard Matheson’s novella of the same name, the 2007 movie occupies some interesting territory in the actor’s filmography, partially because of its originally downbeat ending.
Now, with I Am Legend 2 finally in the works at Warner Bros, I Am Legend’s superior alternate ending is finally canon. That’s only the beginning of what we know so far about this Michael B. Jordan co-starring sequel! As time marches on, more information will be revealed and the next chapter of Dr. Robert Neville’s saga will become clearer in its direction.
Which should be a lot, as this is one of those sequels we never thought would exist in a million years. In the spirit of curiosity and hype, let’s talk out everything we know about I Am Legend 2; with plenty of room to add whatever updates the future will bring.
What Is The I Am Legend 2 Release Date?
Unfortunately we do not have a release date for I Am Legend 2 , but the “script just came in” per Will Smith’s December 2023 update. There’s no telling when things could get started, as there also isn’t any directing talent lined up for this new film at the moment.
Will Smith Is Back For I Am Legend 2, With Michael B. Jordan Joining In
So far, the two people we know to be in I Am Legend 2 are Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan. Thanks to his surprise announcement of I Am Legend 2’s production, as well as the canonization of the first film’s alternate ending, the Academy Award winner is presumably returning to his role of Dr. Robert Neville.
Meanwhile, there’s no news on who Michael B. Jordan will be playing in this upcoming sequel. Which is even more mysterious considering we don’t see many other humans outside of Robert, his third act companions Anna (Alice Braga) and Ethan (Charlie Tahan), and a couple of guards at the compound of survivors we see in the theatrical ending.
I Am Legend 2 Officially Makes The First Film’s Alternate Ending Canon
The entire existence of I Am Legend 2 rests on the decision to retcon I Am Legend’s ending, making the “controversial” alternate ending officially canon. Theatrically Francis Lawrence’s 2007 blockbuster ended with Dr. Robert Neville dying in an explosion meant to kill the Hemocyte/Darkseeker Alpha Male (Dash Mihok) and the good doctor himself. Anna and Ethan hit the road with the cure that Robert had engineered, and the movie ended on a hopeful note.
Meanwhile, the alternate ending made it to I Am Legend’s home entertainment release, and showed Robert, Anna, and Ethan venturing into the world without a cure. So a lot of interesting decisions could be made plot wise, now that our hero is alive, and the ending of the first movie has now been undone.
The Last Of Us Had A Significant Effect On I Am Legend 2’s Story
Another plus to I Am Legend 2 basing its story on the alternate ending is the fact that screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has admitted that The Last of Us’ influenced this Will Smith sequel. Jumping “20-30 years into the future,” Goldsman has promised even more imagery of nature reclaiming the world; which will undoubtedly lead to some dangerous trials ahead.
Rather than dying as the boogeyman for the vampire race, Dr. Robert Neville is alive and well with friends. Or at least we can presume he’s well, unless I Am Legend 2 opens with Will Smith further lamenting his inability to create a cure, or worse.
I Am Legend 2 Further Diverts From Richard Mathison’s Source Material
Say what you will about I Am Legend’s various film adaptations, but both endings of Will Smith’s version got Richard Mathison’s story right in their own way. In the Theatrical cut, Dr. Robert Neville’s death is still as spiteful against the Hemocytes as ever; while in the Alternate cut, Robert realizes how much of a boogeyman he became to this new race of being.
I Am Legend 2 only further pushes the story away from the Mathison text, which focused on an ordinary man who survived through knowledge and grit. But again, that’s the kind of decision you have to make when you want to start a potential franchise. Which is what Warner Bros. has been trying to do for quite a while with I Am Legend.
A New I Am Legend Movie Has Been In The Pipeline For Some Time Now
As far as an I Am Legend sequel is concerned, Warner Bros. has been trying to make that happen pretty much since the first film made a worldwide gross of $584.5 million. Director Francis Lawrence’s thoughts on I Am Legend 2 confirmed as much years later, and while the studio was hot on the idea, the director was not.
Two previous attempts were made, with the first having Lawrence attached to direct, roughly around the 2007-2008 time period. Not too long after, 2012 saw another iteration in the works, which was supposed to “retrofit” A Garden At The End Of The World, a script from Apple Store employee turned writer Gary Graham, into I Am Legend 2. Both ideas fizzled out, leading to the current incarnation you see today.
There Was Even Talk Of An I Am Legend Prequel At One Point
Yes, as it turns out, the decision makers at Warner Bros. did see the theatrical ending to Will Smith’s post-apocalyptic opus. That much is true as an I Am Legend prequel almost happened, being announced as far back as 2008. So roughly around the same time in history that saw Warner Bros. trying to continue Dr. Neville’s story, a previous adventure was also in the works.
In an interview for the 2008 release of Seven Pounds, Collider actually obtained plot details from Smith himself on this project. This story intended to cover the earlier days of the Krippen Virus pandemic, with Dr. Neville and his team traveling from D.C. to Manhattan as the world continues to disintegrate. That’s about all that’s known about this concept, which is still intriguing to discuss.
Perhaps a prequel novel could be written out of this storyline, in order to hype the world up for I Am Legend 2. It would certainly help keep the fires stoked as we wait for more information on Will Smith’s return to this long awaited next chapter. A lot of mystery still shrouds just how I Am Legend is supposed to continue, and we’re going to keep our ears and eyes open for any new details as they land.