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I Am Legend sequel starring Michael B. Jordan, Will Smith, locks in director

It might confuse some viewers to see Smith back, but the director explained how it's possible.
Alex Hopley Editor UK 21 April 2026

I Am Legend 2 has just taken a big step forward towards being real. The sequel to the 2007 film was first confirmed back in 2024, with there being talks of Will Smith returning in some aspect, as well as Michael B. Jordan featuring as the film's star.

Now, we also have an update on the movie's director. Collider spoke with Steven Caple Jr., who confirmed he will be directing the film for Warner Bros. Caple Jr. is also working on a handful of Paramount projects, and is now working on the Netflix Man on Fire remake. It's unclear where I Am Legend 2 fits into his busy schedule, but it is in the works.

Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the original movie, is coming back for the sequel, too. This won't be half as confusing as Smith's return for some audiences, though. However, it's explained that for the sequel, the filmmakers will be using the alternate ending of the original film, which more closely followed the end of the 1954 Richard Matheson book. Instead of going out in a blaze of glory, Smith's character was left to live with the discovery the monsters he'd grown to hate were not mindless killing machines, but people who had grown as a society since the fall of humanity. It'll be interesting to see how that theme continues in the sequel, made some 20 years on.

Editor UK Alex Hopley covered the video game industry for Gamereactor, from new announcements and launches to the business behind them. He also wrote on tech, film and entertainment, and his coverage wasn't tied to any one region.
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