Ryan Reynolds, the internet’s man crush, has captured our hearts with his massive catalog of films to choose from.
With his upcoming slate including a collaboration with John Krasinski in If, as well as his MCU debut in Deadpool 3, fans of Reynolds are being well-fed in 2024. However, those who fell in love with Reynolds as the world’s smartest NPC, Guy, are hoping 2025 might bring them Free Guy 2. The original Free Guy hit theaters in 2021, with Reynolds as the titular “Guy”, an NPC who ends up saving the digital world he lives in.
Grossing over $300 million worldwide, Free Guy was a solid hit for 20th Century Studios. Critics and fans alike found the concept interesting and the characters endearing. When the film hit Max and Disney Plus in February 2022, it even went down as the most watched film across all streaming platforms in its first week (via JustWatch). So, is there a sequel on its way?
What’s happening with Free Guy 2?
After the film’s successful opening weekend, Ryan Reynolds confirmed in a tweet that Disney gave the green-light for a sequel to Free Guy. Serving as a producer on the original film in addition to starring, Reynolds was quick to sign on for a follow-up. During press for The Last Duel, Jodie Comer commented on the news, saying she would be willing to come back for a sequel as well. In March 2022, 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell confirmed a script was submitted to the studio for Free Guy 2.
However, while promoting his Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See, director Shawn Levy admitted there has been some unintended hiccups when creating the story for the new film, and it may be surprising to hear those hiccups involve a certain pink-hued blockbuster. In an interview with Collider, Levy said that Barbie, thanks to its own take on self-aware characters, is causing the team to re-evaluate the story, and the necessity, of Free Guy 2.
We are developing a sequel, but the truth is that you now have Barbie that has obviously left a mark about a character in a fictional world who comes to self-awareness. So, we’re only gonna make Free Guy 2 if it’s different than the first movie and if it’s different from other movies.”
– Shawn Levy, Director of Free Guy
Even if Levy and Reynolds find a story to tell with Free Guy 2, the pair have said they’re not necessarily in a rush to make the sequel happen. Both have said on multiple occasions that Free Guy 2 will only happen if they can find a story that is just as good, if not greater, than the original Free Guy. As of right now, that story has yet to be found. But we’ll keep updating this article as their search continues.
