‘Brightburn 2’ release rumors, casting, plot, and more

Brightburn, a horror movie twist on the superhero coming-of-age story, announced plans for a sequel four years ago, but a second movie is yet to surface.

A dark tale in a similar vein to Clark Kent’s early years before becoming Superman, the film was produced by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad), and written by his brothers and fellow filmmakers, Brian and Mark Gunn. Here’s what we know about the potential sequel so far.

‘Brightburn 2’ release date

In July 2019, producer James Gunn confirmed that talks for a sequel to Brightburn were happening, although little confirmation was given for a timeframe for the film, but noted that he was “tied up for the next few years with [The] Suicide Squad and Guardians [of the Galaxy Vol. 3],” which could possibly delay the film.

Now, three years on and (mostly) post-pandemic, the sequel is nowhere to be seen. Since the interview, James Gunn has been hired as the new head of DC Studios, making the filmmaker busier than ever, even post-Guardians and The Suicide Squad.

With the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strikes only just ending, and the Screen Actors Guild strikes currently ongoing as of September 2023, a sequel will likely not be released until 2025 or 2026 at the earliest.

‘Brightburn 2’ casting

The casting of Brightburn 2 may be significantly different than the first. If the 2025-2026 release window is true, child actor Jackson A. Dunn, who portrays Brandon Breyer/Brightburn, may have aged out of the timeframe the filmmaker has in mind for the next phase of storytelling.

Given the parents’ deaths in the first film, actors Elizabeth Banks and David Denman are unlikely to reprise their roles in a sequel. Brightburn 2 will most likely have a predominately or all-new cast.

‘Brightburn 2’ plot

It’s too early into production for Brightburn 2 to have many plot points confirmed, but will likely draw on what we know so far from the original film. Brightburn concluded with Brandon, now freed from his parents through their brutal murders, fully embracing his identity as Brightburn, a supervillain enacting atrocities onto the world. As hinted throughout the film, particularly in a report featured at the end, it is strongly implied that there are more non-human entities like Brightburn in the world, as his signature symbol is shown in various locations.

Any sequel to Brightburn will likely follow Brandon/Brightburn’s new phase of life as a fully-fledged mass murderer who came of age in the last film, with the character likely finding out about his mysterious supernatural origins. With the mid-credits scene ending on a conspiracist’s theory of who Brightburn is, the new film will probably follow a new group of humans attempting to end Brightburn’s reign of terror.

Of course, once new information about the film surfaces this article will be updated to reflect that.