Status, Story & Everything We Know

James Gunn's Brightburn sets the stage for more superhero horror films. Here's everything we know about Brightburn 2.

Summary

• Brightburn 2 is still in development and will introduce new twisted nightmare superheroes, expanding the dark and disturbing universe.
• The H Collective plans to integrate technologies like AI and Web3 into the sequel, which has sparked skepticism due to ongoing strikes.
• The post-credits scene hints at the involvement of other evil versions of famous superheroes, setting up an evil Justice League/Avengers facsimile in Brightburn 2.

The first movie may have arrived almost five years ago but development on Brightburn 2 is ongoing — and the genre-bending horror sequel could be just as dark and disturbing by bringing in new twisted nightmare superheros. Produced by James Gunn and directed by David Yarovesky (The Hive), Brightburn is an unofficial Superman re-imagining that explores what if a character with similar abilities to the Man of Steel had gone down a dark and violent path from childhood. An alien boy named Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) growsup in small-town Kansas and discovering he has super-abilities.

However, unlike Clark Kent/Kal-El, Brandon uses his powers to murder his adopted family, before unleashing his bloodlust upon the rest of the human race. However, when the credits start rolling, it becomes clear Gunn, Yarovesky, and writers Brian and Mark Gunn (James' brother and cousin) had bigger plans in mind than a one-off. A post-credits scene teases as a much larger universe beyond Brightburn, and several comments made by James Gunn and other producers in the years since confirm that development of Brightburn 2 is ongoing. Clarity on the potential cast, story, and release date, however, remain scarce for the Brightburn sequel.

Most Recent Brightburn 2 News

After several years without any major news on the Brightburn sequel, producers The H Collective revealed that development on Brightburn 2 was still ongoing as of September 2023. In a general announcement first reported on by Deadline, the due behind The H Collective, Mark Rau and Kent Huang, revealed that — among other projects — they were still working on Brightburn 2.

However, news that work on the sequel hadn't stop didn't come without controversy. The H Collective is planning to integrate technologies such as AI, the Metaverse, and Web3 into its upcoming projects, including Brightburn 2. While the collective have made clear that they "respect professionals and fans while promoting responsible technology integration", there's still been a great amount of skepticism about this creative direction - especially given AI's role in the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Exactly how the technology will be integrated into the development of Brightburn 2 remains to be seen. Additionally, while the confirmation of ongoing development of the Brightburn sequel is positive, there still hasn't been a possible Brightburn 2 release window provided. It's unclear exactly how much development has occurred for the sequel, and the update from The H Collective didn't reveal much about how far along Brightburn 2 is or when full production can be expected to begin.

Brightburn 2 Is Confirmed

Brightburn 2 was confirmed in 2019 by James Gunn (via MovieWeb), although there's been little in the way of updates on the Brightburn sequel in the years since. An interview with H Collective, the producer duo behind Brightburn, in 2023 revealed that development on the sequel was still ongoing, so Brightburn 2 hasn't been canceled despite the considerable time since being initially announced.

Brightburn 2 Cast

Little is known about the Brightburn 2 cast, although it would likely be almost totally different from Brightburn. Many of the characters in Brightburn died at the hands of the titular villain, making their return for a sequel difficult (unless they're in flashback scenes). It's assumed Jackson A. Dunn would return to play Brandon Breyer, A.K.A. Brightburn, although since several years have passed in the real world it would have to be an older version of the character.

While both Elizabeth Banks as Tori and David Denman as Kyle had great performances in Brightburn as the adoptive parents of an emerging supervillain, the Breyer's didn't survive until the end. This means both Banks and Denman almost certainly won't be returning for Brightburn 2. One character who could return is Michael Rooker, who appeared in the Brightburn post-credits scene as conspiracy theory blogger Big T.

Brightburn 2 Story

Brightburn includes a credits scene that offers some strong hints about the sequel's plot, and also introduces other evil versions of famous superheroe archetypes who could show up in Brightburn 2. The Brightburn post-credits screen shows news footage of Brandon (now nicknamed Brightburn after his hometown) wreaking havoc, intercut with clips from a YouTube conspiracy theory show hosted by an Alex Jones-esque character known as The Big T (James Gunn's frequent collaborator Michael Rooker).

As Big T explains, Brightburn isn't the only super-powered being who exists on earth. Rather, according to multiple reports, there are similarly super-human serial killers out there, including a half-sea creature, half-man monster known for sinking ships, and a witch who uses rope to choke people and make them tell the truth. Since evil versions of Aquaman and Wonder Woman also exist in the Brightburn universe, it's highly likely they'd play a part in Brightburn 2.

It's a clear setup for Brightburn 2 to feature an evil Justice League/Avengers facsimile. There are a few directions the sequel could go with this premise too, whether it be that Brightburn teams up with the other superpowered beings in his world to wreak havoc upon an unprepared world, or teams up with them to create an even greater threat. Either way, expanding the dark mesh of horror and superheroes seen in Brightburn to include more beings like the titular character means Brightburn 2 will doubtless be even more nailbiting than the original.