This is all we know about “Brightburn 2” so far. Produced by James Gunn and directed by David Yarovesky, “Brightburn” is an unofficial reimagining of Superman that poses the question: What if Superman had taken a dark and violent path as a child? The film initially follows the same rhythm as the classic Superman origin story, about an alien boy named Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) who grows up in a small town in Kansas and discovers that he has superpowers. However, unlike Clark Kent/Kal-El, Brandon believes his powers make him superior to humans and uses them to murder his adoptive family before unleashing his bloodlust on others.
As an indie film, there is very little concrete information about a potential sequel for “Brightburn.” However, during the credits of the first film, it became clear that Gunn, Yarovesky, screenwriter Brian Gunn (James’ cousin), and Mark Gunn (James’ brother) had grander plans in mind for future installments. The credits scene provides some strong hints about the plot of the sequel and other villainous versions of popular DC superheroes that may appear in the film.
Despite most of the main characters dying at the end of the first movie, it seems like there will be a second installment titled “Brightburn 2.” Although no clear-cut setting for the sequel has been established yet, fans can expect more thrilling action scenes with an evil version of Superman or other popular DC superheroes.
Brightburn builds villain Justice League for sequel
Burn Bright
In a post-credits scene, news footage shows Brandon (now known as Brightburn) destroying everything in his path. Cutscenes from a YouTube conspiracy show hosted by The Big T (played by Michael Rooker, a frequent collaborator of James Gunn) reveal that Brightburn is not the only superhuman serial killer on Earth. Reports suggest that there are several others, including a half-sea creature, a legendary monster that sinks ships, and a witch who strangles people with ropes to force them to tell the truth. Even evil versions of Aquaman and Wonder Woman exist in the Burn Bright universe.
This obvious setting for Burn Bright 2 could star the villainous Justice League and its own iteration of DC’s Trinity and related superheroes. Someone like Cyborg is just begging for a horror makeover of the mythical body. There are several directions the sequel could take, including Brightburn and his colleagues clashing with each other as they try to devise a plan for world domination or teaming up when a powerful hero appears and threatens to wipe them all out – similar to 2017’s Justice League film. No matter how it goes, “United the League” takes on a whole new meaning in this sequel.
Brightburn 2 has not been officially released yet
Currently, there is no confirmation from Sony or Screen Gems regarding the progress of a potential sequel to “Blebburn.” The first film earned $17.3 million worldwide during its opening weekend and is expected to have cost between $6-12 million. Although critical and audience reactions have been mixed, it remains unclear whether Sony will green-light a sequel. One factor that may work in favor of a sequel is Sony’s commitment to reviving established horror franchises in the next two years, as well as launching new movies like Blumhouse’s “Mythic Quest” thriller reboot and sequels like this year’s low-budget thriller “Escape Room” (April 2020). If a sequel to “Blebburn” does get the go-ahead, it may not enjoy a quick turnaround like “Escape Room 2” due to potential scheduling conflicts and other factors.
When is Brightburn’s release date?
It is uncertain when Blebburn 2 can be released. James Gunn is currently in pre-production for Suicide Squad and plans to begin filming Guardians of the Galaxy 3 immediately after in 2020. This leaves little time for him to rest between comic book adaptations and shift his focus to Burn Bright’s sequel or even act as a creative producer or consultant. Nonetheless, since Burn Bright has an established world, Gunn was able to have less input and allowed his family and Jarowitzki to decipher the story at their own pace.
Regardless, it is safe to assume that Blebburn 2 will not be released in 2020. Sony has more horror movies coming out next year, including Ghost Catcher, Live Vampire Mobius, and Venom 2 (which all contain some elements of horror). This does not bode well for Burn Bright’s sequel, even if Yarovesky and his writers are ready within the next 12-18 months. In any case, the sequel will likely take longer than the previous one (just like with Justice League’s full set of villains), so a release date between 2021-2022 seems like the most realistic scenario.