It has been 16 years since Will Smith’s reckless, alcoholic superhuman, John Hancock, turned into the guardian of Los Angeles. Now, after years of delays, a sequel to the 2008 action-comedyHancockis officially in development, with the film’s lead star confirming the news. Furthermore,the creators are eyeing MCU actress Zendaya for a major rolein the highly anticipated follow-up.
Directed by Peter Berg and based on a screenplay by Vince Gilligan and Vy Vincent Ngo,Hancockwas an unprecedented box office success,grossing $629 million on a $150 million budget. Although superhero films were highly prominent at the time, Smith’s adrenaline-fueled action flick offered a unique spin on the genre, leaving fans eager for a sequel.
During a recent Twitch live stream, the Academy Award-winning actor answered a series of questions from fans, and when asked about his upcoming projects, theMen in Blackstar revealed that the highly anticipated sequel toHancockis in the works, and Zendaya is being approached for a crucial role. He stated:
“There’s a really cool Hancock 2 idea. We haven’t even talked about it. I’m going to give you one little piece. Zendaya is being approached for a role in Hancock 2.”
Will Smith remains tight-lipped about Zendaya’s role inHancock 2, which is fair given the fact that the project hasn’t even begun production. However, since Zendaya is the first casting consideration, there’s a high likelihood of her playing Hancock and Mary’s daughter, potentially inheriting their superhuman abilities.
‘Hancock 2’ Has Been in Development Limbo Since 2009
It is absurd thatHancockhasn’t had a sequel in seventeen years, since the first film was an enormous commercial hit. It was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2008, trailingbehindThe Dark Knight,Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, andKung Fu Panda. Even prior to its release, director Peter Berg stated that if the picture did as well as he had projected, a sequel would be followed shortly.
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After the film was released digitally, Smith reaffirmed to fans that a sequel was in the works as well as that they were building an entirely new world full of novel ideas. Moving forward, Columbia Pictures brought in screenwriters Adam Fierro (The Shield) and Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) in August 2009, with Berg announcing a third actor to appear alongside Charlize Theron and Will Smith as another superhuman. Fast-forward a decade, Theron expressed her interest in returning forHancock 2, but admitted that there has been no progress in developing it.
Given how long the project has lingered in the development phase, there is no certainty that things will be different this time. However, since Zendaya, one ofHollywood’s most sought-after actors, has been picked for the role, the studio might be taking the sequel more seriously.Hancock 2would have some way to go to win over critics after the original film’s 42% Tomatometer showing, but following the $629 million box office it attracted, there could certainly be an audience willing to welcome the flawed hero back to cinemas again.
