The vast majority of blockbuster movies these days tend to end on a sequel-baiting note, which has backfired on countless occasions when the project in question doesn’t perform well enough to warrant any further installments. The focus should always be on telling a story that’s engaging and exciting enough to convince audiences to part with their cash and ensure that the studio can’t ignore further opportunities, instead of packing the plot with hints of what’s to come without delivering on any of them.
Alita: Battle Angel was one such recent offender, and the mega budget sci-fi pic closed on a shot of Edward Norton making an uncredited cameo as the nefarious big bad Nova. That made it patently clear that the actor was poised to return and play the villain in a second outing, but after earning just over $400 million at the box office on a budget rumored to be as high as $200 million, the profit margins simply weren’t enough to launch a franchise.
That hasn’t stopped fans from relentlessly campaigning, though, and they even succeeded in getting Alita re-released into theaters, while there’ve been reports that new rights holders Disney are now actively considering a continuation of the story as either a feature film or an exclusive streaming series. While we can’t confirm which format the proposed Alita follow-up will take, we have heard that Norton is expected to return for it.
According to our intel – which comes from the same sources that told us She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel were in the works for Disney Plus before either was officially announced – the 51 year-old still remains fully committed to honoring his cameo in the first movie should any new opportunities materialize and will be back for future outings in the series. We don’t have any further details at the moment, but given that the cast and crew want it, and the fans definitely want it, it seems like it’s just a matter of time now before Disney confirms more Alita: Battle Angel adventures.
