I Am Legend 2: Why Will Smith Returns, Expected Release Date, Cast & More

It's been quite a while, but I Am Legend actually gets a sequel now and surprisingly, Will Smith will be back in action. We've got all the info for you: how Will Smith's (dead!?) character will return, when we can expect the release, who else is going to be in the cast and more.

I Am Legend 2 TN
I Am Legend 2: Will Smith Lives! | © Warner Bros.

It's been over fifteen years since I Am Legend (based on this book right here ) hit the big screen, starring Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville. As his fate in the original movie is sealed at the end of the movie, a sequel wasn't really something people were betting on – at least with Will Smith.

Well, all bets are off: I Am Legend 2 is coming, and it's coming with Will Smith in tow in his iconic role of Neville. We've gathered all the info for you: how that's possible, when we'll see how that turns out and who else to look forward to.

Will Smith Returns For I Am Legend 2

Remember Nevilles epic, yet tragic end in I Am Legend? If it's blurry, let me recap that for you: he blew himself up to save Anna and Ethan, taking a horde of Darkseekers with him – there's no coming back from being blasted into a thousand Will-Smith-pieces, right?

Well, wrong. That is simply the movie's ending most people know, but the DVD release included an alternative ending where Neville captures the alpha Darkseeker, realizes he's not as mindless as they thought and lets him go to try and coexist peacefully. Still, Anna and Ethan make it to safety without Neville having to blow himself up.

Way less action, right? This pacifistic approach is what they'll go with for I Am Legend 2, though, making Will Smith's return possible by making the alternative ending canon and more book-accurate. (Heartbreakingly, they didn't find an alternative ending for Sam.)

Who Else Is In The Cast Of I Am Legend 2?

Starring alongside Will Smith will be Michael B. Jordan – possibly as a Darkseeker, no less. With them being confirmed not mindless monsters, but also sentient and capable of keeping a peaceful coexistence, the possibilities for I Am Legend 2 are countless.

Information on the rest of the cast has been rather sparse, but it's entirely possible that Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan return as Anna and Ethan. They made it through the first movie in both endings after all and have been a huge part of Neville's motivation.

When Will I Am Legend 2 Release?

I Am Legend Neville And Sam
Let's all have a moment of silence for best girl Sam | © Warner Bros.

Bad news: I am Legend 2 seems to be stuck in the pre-production phase and hasn't taken flight just yet, which is why there is no official release date to be reported yet.

Still, Will Smith's update sparks hope for it to soon take of.

The second we know more, you can be sure we'll keep you posted on that!

Tanja Haimerl

Tanja is obsessed with gripping stories in all kinds of media: games, TV shows and books alike. She did her Bachelor's thesis on The Last of Us, got her degree in media studies thanks to that and can't stop talking about it....