The Big Picture
- James Gunn recently confirmed there are no current plans for a
Brightburn
sequel, dimming all hopes for a possible second film ever coming to fruition. -
Brightburn
offers a unique twist on Superman’s origin story with a villainous version of the character. - Despite negative reviews, the film hinted at a possible interesting sequel.
Reimagining Superman as a villainous character sure sounds like an ambitious idea, but David Yarovesky took on the challenge with his 2019 horror film, Brightburn. While the movie has left audiences divisive since its release to theaters (complete with a 57% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), some — at one point — have expected the film to spawn an immediate sequel, especially considering the movie’s conclusion hinted at a potential continuation of Brandon’s story and the evil he is yet to become. However, despite having previously reported that a second Brightburn movie is still happening, James Gunn has just given a disappointing update on the sequel.
On Threads, a fan asked Gunn about a possible sequel, as the first film, while “fantastic,” left “so many unanswered questions.” The co-CEO of DC Studios then simply responded: “No plans at all for this right now.” Though Gunn did not specifically rule out the possibility of a second Brightburn film, the chances of it happening seem unlikely at this point, given that Gunn — who served as one of Brightburn’s producers — is busy overseeing a planned Superman movie starring David Corenswet.
Brightburn Was an Interesting Superman Makeover
Brightburn, which starred Jackson A. Dunn as the title character, offers a unique perspective on Superman‘s origin story. The movie centers on Brandon, a young boy who is found inside a crashed spacecraft in Kansas. Discovered by a loving couple who had been unable to conceive a child, the boy appears to be a gift sent from above. The couple has decided to raise Brandon as their own, but as he grows up, he eventually discovers he has supernatural abilities — a plot akin to the Superman tale. Brandon, however, is not your typical Man of Steel. And he never seems to have shown interest in saving the world, much less allowing his adoptive parents to dictate how he should behave.
In the end, Brandon ends up killing both of his parents, indicating that he won’t stop at nothing to do what his vile heart desires. The film managed to tell a terrifying story, but despite having a compelling premise, it failed to delve much deeper. The characters and the story as a whole lacked depth in many ways. While the first one was not a critical success, the film’s ending and credits sequence established an interesting Brightburn cinematic universe. However, as Gunn has previously stated, this will have to wait a little longer, if at all.
In addition to Dunn, Brightburn also starred Elizabeth Banks and David Denman as Brandon’s adoptive parents, Tori and Kyle Breyer. The rest of the cast includes Meredith Hagner, Matt Jones, Becky Wahlstrom, Emmie Hunter, Gregory Alan Williams, Jennifer Holland, and more.
You can watch Collider’s previous interview with the film’s director down below:
