Keanu Reeves has always had a prolific career, but his fame reached new heights when he starred in the action thriller John Wick. Meanwhile, Bad Boys actor Will Smith had a bit of turmoil in life over the past year after the controversial Oscar slap tarnished his reputation.
Keanu Reeves in John Wick
Now, there have been reports that the duo will be working on a project, and with Reeves’ presence in the film, it might help Smith get back to his groove. The sequel to I Am Legend movie is reportedly pushing forward with the John Wick star as the main antagonist.
John Wick’s Keanu Reeves Is Reportedly Switching To The Evil Side
A new scoop from Giant Freakin Robot’s trusted source reported that Keanu Reeves would finally switch to the bad side and will serve as the villain in Will Smith’s I Am Legend 2. Fans have rarely seen the actor play an evil role, so this new project seems very exciting both for the actor and the fans.
The sequel to I Am Legend has been delayed for quite a long time, especially after Smith’s infamous incident at the Academy Awards that forced him to lie low for months. Now that the actor is finally taking action to redeem himself, the post-apocalyptic science fiction project seems to be happening in the near future.
Will Smith in I Am Legend
Keanu Reeves’ role in the movie is still undefined, and many details are kept under wraps. As per GFR, fans can expect the Matrix actor to portray one of the Darkseekers, potentially the leader of these vampire-like villains. There is also a possibility that the Constantine actor will play the leader of a band of human survivors that would have a conflict with Robert Neville.
The 58-year-old actor rarely plays the bad guy, with the exception of his 2013 directorial debut Man of Tai Chi. This will be a refreshing take on his career and a showcase of his range as an actor.
What Could Fans Expect From I Am Legend 2?
Aside from Keanu Reeves, Creed actor Michael B. Jordan will also join the franchise. Will Smith initially refused to make the sequel, but he revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that it was Jordan who convinced him:
“The idea came up. I can’t talk about it yet. But it’s a really, really cool concept and he [Jordan] was a part of creating the idea. It was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea. But that might work. I think we can do that.”
Will Smith in I Am Legend
Although details about the sequel are scarce, producer Akiva Goldsman shared some insights that he wanted to incorporate into the project (via Deadline):
“This will start a few decades later than the first. I’m obsessed with The Last of Us, where we see the world just post-apocalypse but also after a 20-30-year lapse. You see how the earth reclaims the world, and there’s something beautiful in the question of, as man steps away from being the primary tenant, what happens?”
He also noted that the movie would lean into the original Richard Matheson novel, as opposed to the released storyline in the first installment:
“We trace back to the original Matheson book and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film. What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text.”
With Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, and Michael B. Jordan joining forces in one epic science fiction story, fans can expect that the film will break box office records.
I Am Legend is available on Netflix and Prime Video.
Sources: GFR, ET, Deadline