It’s been a staggering 17 years since audiences witnessed Will Smith as a chaotic, disgruntled superhero with more than a bad image to his name in the 2008 action epic Hancock. His life is transformed when he saves the life of a PR specialist (Jason Bateman) who convinces him he can earn true redemption in the place of public disdain. Now, nearly two decades on, the Hollywood megastar has teased a second iteration is on the way (with another big star potentially attached).
The superstar, who is no stranger to a Twitch livestream, hopped on the platform to answer a stream of fan questions when he hinted at the sequel, per Deadline. “There’s a really cool Hancock 2 idea,” Smith revealed during the livestream. “We haven’t even talked about it.” He did not stop with the spoilers there, he went on to tease he has in fact approached one of the industry’s biggest names for a role in the project. “I’m going to give you one little piece,” he hinted. “Zendaya [is] being approached for a role in Hancock 2.”
Smith‘s desire to revive the alcoholic eponymous superhero is hardly a surprise given that the film was tipped to earn a staggering $629.4 million at the global box office, per Box Office Mojo. This made it the fourth highest-grossing film of the year.
In fact, a sequel has been a conversation in the cards for years. Back in 2012, director Peter Berg told Comicbookmovie that the cast had all been in talks for the venture, adding “We’re all interested, but we literally just have trouble getting into the same room at the same time.” He went on to explain that he, Smith, and producers Michael Mann and Akiva Goldman even met to workshop an idea for the sequel with Smith bringing a concept to the table. However, it was still a question of timing for the group. Given that Smith has hinted at a new cast for the film, it’s fair to say an idea is likely being workshopped but whether it will make it all the way to the big screen remains to be seen.
What Makes ‘Hancock’ Unique?
Even after two decades on from its release, Hancock still confidently stands out from Smith‘s wide portfolio of films, maintaining its unique superhero concept even in an era of Marvel and DC Comic extravaganzas. John Hancock (Smith) is not the average likable hero with gusto and a desire to save the day. Instead, he is framed as the complete opposite. Bitter, lonely and tied to his love of drinking, he grapples with attempting to save the general public from themselves only to be met with disdain. He verges on being resentful towards the responsibility of being “good.” That, however, does not inherently stop him from stepping up when needed.
The film explores the titular’s journey to real progression whilst simultaneously restoring his battered public image. Exactly where Hancock 2 could go from here after such hefty character development in the first installment remains to be seen, but perhaps the titular hero is now his very own beloved icon with all the merchandise and marketing to go with it.
via Collider