Star James McAvoy discusses why Wanted 2 hasn’t yet come to life. Based on the comic book miniseries by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, the original movie also starred Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, in which McAvoy portrayed the main protagonist who joins a secret order of assassins. After the movie became a critical and commercial success, there had been hopes for a sequel, but the film experienced continued setbacks with its scripts for 16 years.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, McAvoy addressed the problems with Wanted 2‘s development, the audience’s love for the original movie, and whether he would still consider returning. He attributed the delays to scripts, elaborating that many had come his way, but none made him feel confident enough to go the next step. While embracing the movie’s love from fans, particularly from the younger generation, the star now believes he is too old to play Wesley. Read his full comment below:
There were a couple of scripts that came my way for sequels, but they weren’t strong enough, so that’s why they never happened. If there was a script there that was absolutely banging, then, yeah, I’d be disappointed. But we made something that I’m really proud of. Timur [Bekmambetov] was really proud of it. The studio was really proud of it. Everybody was really excited by it, and it’s stood the test of time a little bit. It’s always on streamers, and people are always watching it. I still get so much love for it from young people who weren’t alive back then. So I’m proud of what we did, and I wouldn’t want to tarnish it by doing something that was not quite as strong. And, look, I’m too old to play Wesley now anyway. It’s a young person’s role now.
What Wanted 2 Could Be About?
Is James McAvoy Really Too Old For Wanted 2?
While a strong script for it hasn’t come to fruition yet, a story for Wanted 2 has already been discussed. Millar himself suggested that a sequel could expand the franchise’s lore and introduce the rest of the assassin fraternities. In the comic book, there are five. With the success of action thrillers like the John Wick franchise, there is plenty of room for gunslinging assassins and expansive worldbuilding.
In particular, there might even be space for McAvoy to return as Wesley. He gave a solid performance in the 2008 film, so him being absent in the sequel might be disappointing to some audiences. Since a lot of time has passed since Wanted, it would be odd to see him as the main character as McAvoy suggested due to his age. However, he could play a mentor-like character, perhaps the new, uncorrupted leader of a new fraternity.
The sequel’s setbacks can be attributed to the absence of a script that’s strong enough to carry the story forward, not a lack of interest, so a sequel to
Wanted
isn’t entirely out of the cards and neither is McAvoy’s return.
It is important to note that McAvoy is 45 years old now. His age isn’t a problem, but the sixteen-year delay is far more significant. Rebooting the series may not be the best option, given that many audiences are still familiar with McAvoy’s Wesley and would want to know his whereabouts. The Wanted 2 script remains an issue, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that McAvoy should be out of the conversation for a return just yet.
Wanted is available to stream on Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
