Joker 2’s Poor Performance Led to the Cancellation of Major Will Smith Sequel

It seems that the unfortunate results of Joker 2 may have inadvertently affected another highly anticipated film: I Am Legend 2, the long-awaited sequel starring Will Smith, is reportedly toast.

One doesn’t need to be an industry analyst to recognize that the box office performance and critical reception of Joker 2 have been far from stellar. As a follow-up to the highest-grossing R-rated film ever and a prior Oscar winner, it should have been a guaranteed success.

However, the reality is that it has drawn significant criticism, evidenced by its dismal 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes along with a mere 31% audience score. Its domestic debut even fell short compared to The Marvels, The Flash, and shockingly, even Morbius.

Thus, any thoughts of a timely Joker 3 should be tempered (especially considering how the ending of Joker 2 complicates that option), and other film projects may have been adversely impacted by its disappointing performance.

As reported by EmpireCity Box Office, the lackluster showing of Joker 2 has “effectively derailed I Am Legend 2.”

Hearing that @jokermovie 2’s horrible performance has basically killed off I AM LEGEND 2, so not shocked to see Will Smith announce his next project this morning with Michael Bay to slum around and waste time at Netflix. Disappointing.

— EmpireCity Box Office (@EmpireCityBO) October 7, 2024

This comes on the heels of Will Smith making a project announcement regarding a partnership with Michael Bay for a Netflix action flick.

You might be wondering how these two films are connected. As the source pointed out, “Same studio. I Am Legend 2 was presumed to be pricey and a potential risk, featuring Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan.”

Will Smith in I Am Legend — Warner Bros.

That said, this isn’t set in stone. While I Am Legend 2 is under the Warner Bros. umbrella, other production companies and financiers may still be involved, so it might not be time to give up on it just yet.

Smith’s sequel was officially announced back in 2022, with Michael B. Jordan slated to join him. Updates on the project have been sparse, but if it moves forward, it is expected to continue from the alternate ending of the original film, which features Robert Neville surviving.

In June of this year, Jordan mentioned that the script was still being refined, stating, “It doesn’t have a release date or anything like that.”

He added, “I’m not sure exactly where we’re going to be filming that one, but I’m really excited to get in front of the camera with [Smith].”

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