Warning! This Post Contains Spoilers For Monkey Man
Dev Patel’s explosive directorial debut, Monkey Man, is already shaping up to be the next action franchise in the making, but will Monkey Man 2 ever happen? Made in the same vein as the ever-popular John Wick franchise, Patel’s Monkey Man follows an anonymous underground fighter known only as Kid who makes a living by getting beaten in bare-knuckle fights. Having hardened himself with years of merciless beatings, Kid decides to take his rage out on the shady forces that ruined his life. Blending stylized revenge action with acute messaging, Monkey Man shines because of its measured simplicity.
Monkey Man‘s path to cinemas was anything but smooth, and producer Jordan Peele helped bring the movie to the masses instead of a streaming release. Initial critical reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with Monkey Man being heralded as the John Wick replacement. Though those assessments are kind, Monkey Man‘s true strength is what it does for the revenge action genre, and its sly political commentary sets it apart from the aforementioned Keanu Reeves franchise. If Monkey Man 2 was to happen, it would likely continue that trend to further explore complex social issues.
With the first movie’s premiere in the minds of viewers, the latest news on the sequel sees Dev Patel address Monkey Man 2‘s chances. The actor/director was understandably measured in his response to questions regarding a sequel and he didn’t commit to anything at this juncture. “I’m trying not to get ahead of myself,” said Patel, “I know this sounds like a cliché, but just to … birth this little thing, it’s been a huge undertaking. This is all a dream come true.”
Because the first movie is still so new, it comes as no surprise that the sequel hasn’t been given the green light yet. Typically, sequels hinge less on critical response and more on the chance for the follow-up to make money. Action sequels have usually been strong moneymakers in the past, and a relatively low-budget film like Monkey Man is a strong candidate for profitability. The chances of Monkey Man 2 will be decided by the box-office take of its predecessor, but the chances of the Dev Patel-directed film flopping are quite low.
If Monkey Man 2 ever happens, the cast would likely be largely composed of new characters since Kid achieved his goal of taking out his two biggest foes. Dev Patel’s Kid is the center of the story, and the Slumdog Millionaire alum would need to be on hand to reprise his role, even if he was the only returning character in the sequel. However, Sobhita Dhulipala could also return as Sita in Monkey Man 2, and the sequel could explore her life after she opted to free herself from Queenie at the end of the first movie. Other returns, such as Sharlto Copley’s Tiger, are less certain since it’s unlikely that Kid would return to the underground fighting scene.
Cast members who could return in Monkey Man 2 include:
The ending of Monkey Man was somewhat ambiguous, but that ambiguity is where the plot for a potential sequel could live. Having dispatched his foes, Rana and Baba Shakti, Kid finally collapsed from his wounds and saw one last flashback to the past. While this ending suggests Kid was able to peacefully die having completed his revenge quest, it also leaves the door open for more since audiences didn’t see him die. As for plot details, the sequel also has a lot to work with by default.
Having stirred up a political hornet’s nest by killing off Rana, Kid could become public enemy number one as he tries to get revenge against even more evildoers. The election success of Rana’s party was an omen for what was to come, and one of the late corrupt politician’s cronies could make eliminating Kid their top priority, using the full might of the government to do so. Furthermore, the newly liberated Sita could also play a part in Monkey Man 2 and could go on a violent revenge-fueled rampage of her own.