Jake Gyllenhaal starred in a high-concept sci-fi movie in 2011 which ended in such a way that it seemed to brilliantly set up a sequel, but the project has yet to be revisited. The movie in question is one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best movies but it’s quite often overlooked in favor of the actor’s more well-known films. Granted, it could easily fall into the group of confusing movies that only make sense right at the end, but its biggest twists and turns are artfully foreshadowed throughout its 90-minute runtime.

2011’s Source Code follows Gyllenhaal’s Captain Colter Stevens as he’s forced to experience the same eight-minute sequence of events over and over again in an attempt to discover the idenтιтy of a domestic terrorist who is gearing up to strike again. Although Source Code initially deceives its audience into thinking the story belongs to the category of cool time loop movies, it’s eventually revealed to be somewhat of a mini multiverse saga that definitely still deserves a sequel.

Source Code 2 Could Have Been An Entirely New Mission For An Alternate Colter Stevens

The original movie introduces a second version of Gyllenhaal’s character

Although it functions very well as a standalone story, Source Code‘s ending leaves proceedings ripe for continuation. The movie concludes with Colter’s consciousness slipping permanently into another universe, leaving his severely injured body behind in his native reality and stepping into the life of Sean Fentress. Even in his new life, the movie makes sure to reveal that the Source Code Program still exists, and Colter’s barely living remains are still hooked up to the advanced government tech. So, this other Colter could have taken over as Source Code‘s 2 protagonist.

The Colter who is unveiled at the end of Source Code never experienced the events on the train, as the main version of Gyllenhaal’s character apprehended the bomber before he struck. So, Vera Farmiga’s Captain Goodwin and the rest of Beleagured Castle would still need to test the Source Code to make sure it works. This experimental use of the tech would have allowed Gyllenhaal to reprise his role within the “simulation,” which would have given Source Code 2 a brand-new mission for him to fulfill that doesn’t really need to acknowledge the first movie’s events.

This same framework could have been repeated more than once, resulting in multiple sequels and eventually forming a semi-anthological movie franchise that followed a similar trajectory to Quantum Leap – albeit with a far darker approach. If Goodwin were to ᴀssist Colter in moving on to a new universe at the end of each Source Code movie, then that would introduce the reality in which the next story would be set. All the Colters would eventually combine to save countless lives, all while being unaware of each other until the end of their respective missions.

A Source Code Sequel Wouldn’t Suffer After Its Biggest Twist Was Revealed In The First Movie

The audience would know more than Colter at the beginning of Source Code 2

There is an argument that a second Source Code movie wouldn’t be as good because all the biggest twists and turns would have already been revealed in the first installment. Although Source Code 2 would indeed be a little less mysterious, the in-universe stakes would be far higher than the original. Because Colter only eventually manages to confirm he is actually traveling through genuine alternate realities rather than experiencing a simulated recreation in Source Code, his multiple failures only gain any gravitas in retrospect. This wouldn’t be the case in Source Code 2.

As it turns out, failing to stop the train from blowing up in all the other realities resulted in those aboard actually dying, rather than the detonation simply bringing an end to a digitized scenario. So, going into a Source Code sequel, audiences would be burdened with this knowledge, which would mean a very different experience. The other Colter wouldn’t be aware of this fact yet, but Captain Goodwin certainly would due to the email she received at the end of the first movie. Therefore, Source Code 2 wouldn’t be a carbon copy of the original with its enigma blown.

Another Source Code Movie Could Give The First Movie’s Sean Fentress Actor A Bigger Role

Frédérick De Grandpré could play Source Code’s original Colter Stevens in a sequel

Colter is technically a shared role. Although he looks like Gyllenhaal to the audience, those on the train see him as Frédérick De Grandpré – who briefly appears as Sean’s reflection, and also in the pH๏τo on Sean’s ID. Because Gyllenhaal is a far bigger name than his meta co-star, it makes sense that he dominates the role so mᴀssively, but it was perhaps a little unfair to De Grandpré, as he barely featured. However, the secondary actor is the canonical face of Sean and has a legitimate claim to the role of Colter at the end of Source Code.

It’s pretty much a given that Source Code 2 would also revolve around Gyllenhaal, but the version of Colter still trapped inside the Source Code Program would be the character played by the original actor. Then, if a Source Code sequel happened, the movie’s original Colter could return and aid in freeing his multiversal counterpart. This iteration could easily be played by Frédérick De Grandpré, as he would look and sound like Sean Fentress, separating the two Colters. So, he have significantly more work to do than in the first Source Code movie.