Brightburn 2: Will James Gunn’s Superman Horror Sequel Fly?

Years after the original film’s debut, excitement for Brightburn 2 continues. Thankfully, James Gunn has finally given fans an update about the potential sequel to the superhero horror film.

A Superhero Horror Film

Relatively speaking, most superhero films follow the same basic plot structure we’ve seen in action blockbusters over the years. Eventually, seeing the hero’s journey play out with some minimal differences becomes boringly predictable, as is the case with most superhero origin films we’ve seen so far. However, what if we took the basic formula of a superhero and made it into some kind of superpowered nightmare? That’s the terrifying idea behind 2019’s Brightburn, a horror film about what would happen if Superman wasn’t as nice as he is in the comics.

Directed by David Yarovesky, written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn and produced by James Gunn, Brightburn is the perfect mix between a superhero film and an entertaining horror flick. Even more impressive is that the movie works perfectly well as the basis for a dark-themed cinematic universe – a possibility that’s further explored by the end of the film.

An Evil Justice League

Starring a strong cast that includes Elizabeth Banks as Tori Breyer, David Denman as Kyle Breyer, and Jackson A. Dunn as Brandon Breyer, Brightburn follows many of the classic Superman tropes we’re familiar with an alien boy crash lands on a farm in the middle of rural America. However, this “Kryptonian” has nothing to do with the Man of Steel, as young Brandon Breyer becomes an unstoppable killing machine upon discovering his powers.

The rest of the film sees the destruction that a superhuman could cause if they decided to become a force of ultimate evil. Hell-bent on the destruction of the human race, who’s to stop Brandon in a world where superheroes don’t exist?

After the film’s climactic final moments, Brandon is free to do with the world as he pleases – and judging by his unsettling drawings, that boy might just end up bringing forth the apocalypse. He’s not alone, however, as a small dialogue near the end of the movie (during a credits scene) reveals. A YouTuber announces that there are reports of a sea creature overturning boats and a witch that uses a lasso to strangle people. These ramblings might be referencing two classic DC characters, namely Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Also included is an image of the Crimson Bolt, which was another of James Gunn’s creations and is intended as a Batman parody.

All of this leaves us with the possibility of Brightburn 2 being about an evil version of the Justice League as they wreak havoc on the human race. However, that might be a bit of a one-sided fight, wouldn’t it? That’s why we believe that the sequel to Brightburn might go differently.

Brightburn vs Invincible

Superman’s motto has always been “truth, justice, and the American way.” In Brightburn, Brandon stands for the complete opposite of Superman’s core values, but that isn’t something that we haven’t seen in comic book fiction in recent years. Invincible is a show that’s gained some immense popularity this year, and it also features an evil version of Superman at the centre of its plot. Omni-Man took the internet by storm and quickly became one of the most popular deconstructions of Superman in popular culture. If we examine how Omni-Man’s story plays out in the Invincible comics, we might have a clue about how a possible Brightburn 2 could play out.

Exactly like in the show, Omni-Man starts as a villain who decides to conquer the Earth in the name of his species. However, through constant sacrifice and love, Omni-Man becomes one of Earth’s staunchest protectors, even paying the ultimate prize for his species and his family.

While it might be a bit too late for Brandon’s family, it just goes to show just how full of storytelling potential the Brightburn universe is. Perhaps it’s time that we got a new superhero universe: one that’s not based on comics and where anything can happen. A Brightburn sequel could be filled with interesting surprises.

Is Brightburn DC or Marvel?

Strictly speaking, Brightburn doesn’t belong to either DC or Marvel. Released by Sony Pictures, the movie stands on its own as one of those rare superhero films that are not based on any pre-existing comic book properties. Even though some clear parallels could be drawn between Brightburn and some of DC’s most emblematic franchises, this horror film has no attachment to any of the two predominant comic book imprints. That said, if we consider not only the noticeable references to Superman but also some of the thematic choices in the movie’s plot, it would be easy to picture a potential Brightburn comic belonging to the DC universe.

Perhaps the most convincing argument that Brightburn would definitely belong in the DC comics universe is that the core idea behind the film is something that the comic book adventures of the Man of Steel have explored multiple times in the past. One of the most clear-cut examples of this would be 2017’s DC House of Horror – a haunting one-shot comic that reimagined some of the members of the Justice League as monstrous versions of themselves. Bump in the Night is also eerily similar to Brightburn’s plot, with the only exception being that this version of Superman is even more sadistic and downright evil than anything Brandon Breyer could have imagined.

Of course, this could change in a Brightburn sequel. Brandon could match the evil of Bump in the Night.

“Although it’s not officially a Superman movie, it walks viewers through every step of Clark Kent’s origin story before taking a hard left turn.“

Fast Company

What The Plot For Brightburn 2 Could Be

If Brightburn was a villain origin story, it stands to reason that a potential Brightburn 2 would be the “team-up” event for the franchise. This is something that the movie itself teased as it nears its conclusion, with a conspiracy theorist reporting that several superpowered individuals are wreaking havoc all over the world. Much like Iron Man came before The Avengers, Brightburn 2 would most likely have to deal with Brandon – now known as “Brightburn” – and his new role as a full-blown genocidal villain. He’s not alone, however, as this world’s version of the Justice League might be willing to give him a hand in his quest to eradicate humanity.

However, it could also be possible that – considering Brandon was raised as a human by loving parents (Elizabeth Banks as Tori Breyer and David Denman as Kyle Breyer) – something might click deep inside Brightburn, prompting him to become a sort of antihero. It sounds a bit cheesy, but at least it makes a bit of narrative sense, considering the events of the first film.

Another possible theory is that Brandon’s change of heart might just be a massive red herring in a potential Brightburn sequel. After all, having Brightburn suddenly become a hero, no matter how justified it is in the plot, would go against the original film’s narrative. We must also consider that the ending of Brightburn – when Brandon kills his mother – makes it clear that the boy is past the possibility of redemption.

More than likely, a sequel would follow a group of survivors in the new world as they strive for survival against the Brightburn-led army of supervillains. With Brandon’s only weakness – his spaceship – presumably destroyed at the end of the first movie, Brightburn 2 paints a rather grim picture for anyone who goes against Brandon.

Similarities Between Brandon Breyer and Clark Kent

Brandon Breyer (played by Jackson A. Dunn) is, essentially, Kal-El. Brightburn does not try to hide the many parallels between the two characters – in fact, these similarities might be integral to the film’s plot. One of the reasons why the horror in Brightburn is so effective is because fans are used to seeing Superman as a paragon of justice and all that is good – whereas Brightburn stands for the complete opposite.

Both characters are aliens who are raised by a childless couple in a fictional town in Kansas. While Clark Kent learns all about truth, justice, and the American way, Brandon is brought up in a more contemporary manner—the kind you’d expect any real-life kid to receive. It’s not that Brandon’s parents were poor role models—it’s just that you’d hardly come across an idealist like Jonathan Kent (or any of the Kents) in real life.

Another similarity between Brandon and Clark is that, while they both belong to an alien species, they appear almost entirely humanoid. Unlike some other extraterrestrial DC characters, like Martian Manhunter, Supes has always been only a regular man with superhuman powers. However, in Brandon’s case, these similarities might serve a much darker purpose, as it might have been the aliens’ idea of a bioweapon that could infiltrate a planet’s population relatively unnoticed, at least until his powers manifested themselves.

Beyond the biological similarities, Clark and Brandon also share a common fondness for the colour red and for falling in love with a classmate. While Clark’s story with Lana Lang is the usual comic book romance, Brandon’s obsession with Caitlyn serves as one of the movie’s darkest subplots.

It’s also important to remember that there are multiple versions of Clark Kent in the DC Comics multiverse. If we were to compare Brandon to a single version of the Man of Steel, we’d have to pick the Clark Kent from Earth-Prime, better known as Superboy-Prime. Both characters are dangerous, superpowered individuals, with the only difference being that, deep down, Superboy-Prime still considers himself a “Superman,” while Brightburn is simply downright evil in nature.

One thing is for certain: we’re not in Smallville anymore.

How Has Brightburn Changed The Superhero Genre?

Despite how visually creative superhero films can be, most of the flicks in the genre follow the same tried-and-true formula – a situation that has caused some fans to lose interest in the plethora of comic book films released each year. To a point, seeing the same stories play out exactly the same way time after time can be exhausting, which is why Brightburn proves to be so effective for fans of horror movies and superhero movies.

Brightburn – and Joker, to the same extent – also proved something that both DC and Marvel seem reticent to acknowledge: there’s a market not only for superhero movies but also for villains. Whether or not Brightburn changed the rules for the superhero genre remains to be seen – but the same can’t be said about the horror genre. The movie introduced a completely fresh concept to the mix: no longer were ghosts or conventional monsters the bad guys in a horror flick. Brightburn is a horror film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe generation.

With all that said, that would be the most significant indicator we have that Brightburn 2 might be somewhere in the pipeline. At its core, Brightburn is a play on what we expect from modern movies, and a crucial part of superhero films is that they must, in almost every case, come with a sequel.

Brightburn was the antithesis not just to Superman – but to the entire superhero genre. It’s a concept that some of the most notorious comic book writers, from Mark Millar to Alan Moore, have explored some time in the past, but only Brightburn has successfully turned it into an outstanding superhero film that didn’t need any comic books as a reference to become one of the most iconic examples of the genre released in the last decade.

James Gunn Says There’s No Plans For A Brightburn Sequel

Since Brightburn swept the world and the internet, fans have been hoping for updates about a possible sequel to the horror movie. They want to see where this new and terrifying take on superheroes might take us. Now that it has been years since the film’s release, the hope for a sequel is drying up.

A fan of the film, Jaylon Marton, asked Gunn on Threads when we can expect a sequel, citing the unanswered questions and the great potential that the movie had to be the start of a franchise. Unfortunately, the Superman: Legacy director replied as usual, saying, “No plans at all for this right now.”

Later, while answering more questions about the possibility of Brightburn 2 in the future, James Gunn wrote, “I mean we talked about it early on. But the rights are all f***ed up (I only own half) so it’s unlikely that it will ever happen.”

While fans might see this as a huge bummer, Gunn has gone back and forth about the sequel for many years. Then it’s on. Then it’s off. So, it’s likely that he could possibly change his mind again after the David Corenswet Superman movie – especially if he manages to get the rights back at some point. Given his position as the head of the DCU, he should be able to pull a few strings here and there.

So, unfortunately, there is currently no announcement, movie trailer or release date for Brightburn 2.

What do you think? Would you like a Brightburn 2 movie?