I Am Legend 2 Update Is Great For Will Smith & Michael B. Jordan After Hit $214 Million Sequel

I Am Legend 2 is happening nearly 20 years after the original movie premiered in theaters, and this significant time gap presents the unique challenge of finding a director who can navigate crafting a sequel and resurrecting a franchise. The task requires someone who can honor the source material while adding a fresh voice, but firm updates have been scarce since the Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan project was first announced.

The original I Am Legend movie grossed $585.4 million at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo), but received mixed responses from critics and audiences, and was criticized for deviating from Richard Matheson’s book. I Am Legend 2‘s story will also retcon the previous movie’s ending in order to accommodate Will Smith’s return, giving the sequel plenty of challenges to overcome. A new update reveals I Am Legend 2 is reportedly eyeing Steven Caple Jr. to direct, and this is positive news for the upcoming Will Smith sci-fi movie.

I Am Legend 2 Would Be In Good Hands With Creed II’s Director, Steven Caple Jr.

Caple Jr. Knows How To Direct A Sequel

Steven Caple Jr. has a history of stepping in to direct sequels within massive franchises after previously helming Creed II and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. He faced a formidable task following Ryan Coogler after Creed was universally praised and revived the Rocky franchise, but Caple Jr. managed to create a crowd-pleaser that lived up to its predecessor with Creed II. Whereas Creed had to balance Adonis’ story with Rocky’s legacy, Creed II successfully pivoted to focus on Adonis.

Caple Jr. has also proven himself with sci-fi blockbusters. While not as financially successful as some of its predecessors, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts became popular once it landed on streaming and boasts a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showcasing the director’s ability to step into a massive franchise and create a film that audiences enjoy.

This is all very positive news for his potential gig taking on I Am Legend 2. Based upon his previous work, Steven Caple Jr. is the perfect director to continue the spirit of 2007’s I Am Legend movie while pushing the sequel into a new direction that will excite audiences and invigorate the overall franchise after almost 20 years of gathering dust. Such a crowd-pleasing director might also find a way to overcome I Am Legend‘s controversial book changes.

Steven Caple Jr.’s Movies Balance Humanity & Action

I Am Legend Will Require Someone Who Pays Attention to Characters And Action

As a director, Caple Jr. blends heartfelt human emotions with intense, adrenaline-fueled action sequences. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts put the human characters at the center of saving the world, and even humanized the robots in a way previous entries hadn’t. However, the director did not back away from the heavy action expected from a Transformers movie. I Am Legend was essentially a one-man character study, so the sequel will require a director who understands how sci-fi movies flourish when human stories are centered and the action exists to further their story.

In Creed II, Caple Jr. deftly navigated the complex dynamic between Adonis and Viktor Drago, as the personal struggles between those two men brought them to the ring and informed the movie’s action. Caple Jr. can bring those same qualities to the apocalypse survivors in I Am Legend 2‘s cast, with the sequel seemingly revolving around the dynamic between Michael B. Jordan’s character and Will Smith’s Dr. Robert Neville.

Given his previous track record, Steven Caple Jr. seems like the ideal person to direct I Am Legend 2. His ability to deliver successful sequels, combined with his talent for balancing human drama and thrilling action, will make him a perfect fit for a franchise that demands spectacle and human drama in equal measure.

Sources: BoxOfficeMojo, Rotten Tomatoes