Nia DaCosta’s 2021 Candyman explained shows how the requel ties into the original and continues the subversive themes of the horror franchise. Candyman is a sequel/soft reboot to Bernard Rose’s 1992 film of the same name, which was based on Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden.” The Candyman sequel picks up in the present day, with Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) returning to Cabrini-Green. Anthony’s return to coincides with the comeback of the Candyman in the form of Daniel Robitaille, and a new iteration in Sherman Fields, a Black man who was a victim of racist violence.

The 2021 Candyman sequel references the events of the first film while advancing the story of Anthony and the deeper lore of the franchise, while also exploring gentrification in the area in the present. While he is haunted by the Candyman, there’s something even more sinister going on when Anthony realizes what Cabrini-Green resident William Burke’s true intentions really are. 2021’s Candyman carries on the story of the 1992 original, though it stands alone as its own story. Like Candyman himself, the legend continues in DaCosta’s film, with the Candyman ending the start of a new chapter to the saga.

Candyman 2021 Is All About Bringing Back The Original Candyman

Nia DaCosta’s Sequel Is A Homage To The 1992 Original

The 2021 Candyman movie is intent on going back to the beginning, highlighting Daniel Robitaille (the original Candyman) and Helen Lyle’s story from the 1992 original

While there have been sequels to 1992’s Candyman, including 1995’s Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and 1999’s Candyman: Day of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, Nia DaCosta’s Candyman is focused more on the story that started it all. The 2021 Candyman movie is intent on going back to the beginning, highlighting Daniel Robitaille (the original Candyman) and Helen Lyle’s story from the 1992 original, while expanding further on the legend and the other iterations of Candyman that have come thereafter.

However, everything that occurs in 2021’s Candyman is crucially linked to the original version of the character (played by Tony Todd) — bringing him back to the forefront in a major way — and his ties to Anthony McCoy, the one who got away. By returning to the origin story, the new Candyman is all about revisiting the past while forging a new future and revitalizing the legend by bridging the old with the new.

Anthony’s Backstory: The Baby From The Original Movie, Chosen By Candyman

The Latest Candyman Appeared In The 1992 Original

In the original film, Anthony was kidnapped by the Candyman, with his mother Anne-Marie believing Helen, a grad student, had taken him.

The 2021 Candyman movie explained that Anthony is one of Candyman’s chosen ones, a sacrificial lamb meant to fuel the fire of the spirit’s existence. After sacrificing two people to a fire, there was no way people would forget about the story, and the constant chatter about Candyman would keep his myth alive for many years to come. In the original film, Anthony was kidnapped by the Candyman, with his mother Anne-Marie believing Helen, a grad student, had taken him.

However, Candyman was after both of them. Anne-Marie left Cabrini-Green after that, opting to raise her son in the Southside of Chicago instead; she never told him about what happened in the hopes he would live a normal life. Her actions following the first film are why Anthony, despite being the baby from the original movie, didn’t realize he’d crossed paths with Candyman before. Anthony may have survived the fire as a baby, but the Candyman would go on to haunt his very life years later.

The Candyman originally chose to sacrifice Helen, the protagonist from the 1992 film, and Anthony, so that his legend could go on.

The Candyman originally chose to sacrifice Helen, the protagonist from the 1992 film, and Anthony, so that his legend could go on. However, Helen saved baby Anthony before stabbing the Candyman. She died from her own injuries, but the Candyman’s longevity was thwarted because he didn’t have Anthony and people began to fear saying his name.

Nearly thirty years later, the Candyman is back to carry out the sacrifice he never finished in the original movie and to bring the events full circle by taking Anthony at long last. Nia DaCosta’s sequel to Candyman explained that, through Anthony, the chosen sacrifice, Candyman’s legend is now stronger than ever.

William Burke’s Plan To Bring Back The Original Candyman Explained

The Secondary Antagonist In 2021’s Candyman Wanted To Combat Gentrification

While Candyman is the primary antagonist of the film, William Burke played a hand in rejuvenating the supernatural enтιтy’s legend. The 2021 Candyman movie explained that Burke was the one who told Anthony the story of Sherman Fields, who became Candyman after being murdered by the police in 1977. In the present day, William was angry about the gentrification of the neighborhood and the city’s building of new high-rises driving out much of Cabrini-Green’s Black community.

William Burke, more than anyone, believed not only that Candyman was real, but that Cabrini-Green needed him.

William Burke, more than anyone, believed not only that Candyman was real, but that Cabrini-Green needed him. William’s final action advanced Anthony’s transformation into the new Candyman. He kidnapped Brianna to be witness to the baptism, as it were, of Anthony shedding his original persona and reemerging as Candyman. William chose Anthony specifically to bring the story that began in 1992’s Candyman full circle.

William knew Anthony was the baby who got away from Candyman all those years ago and as soon as he knew Anthony was back in town, he began planting the seeds for Candyman’s return. William had Brianna watch as he gave Candyman back what was rightfully his — the legend of his existence — by first cutting off Anthony’s hand and replacing it with a hook, rekindling the old legend with a new twist. Brianna being a witness to the proceedings, in William’s mind, would help to carry on the legacy of the Candyman.

Brianna kills William, but it’s too late: the cops arrive and do exactly what William anticipated they’d do, killing Anthony and completing his transformation into the legendary Candyman.

William beliebed that through Brianna others would know of what happened, further fuelling the mythology surrounding the Candyman. After all, myths live and die through the power of storytelling. William faked being terrified during a police call, knowing Anthony needed to die at their hands to be reborn as a full-fledged supernatural enтιтy. However, William’s plan was thwarted when Brianna escaped. Brianna kills William, but it’s too late: the cops arrive and do exactly what William anticipated they’d do, killing Anthony and completing his transformation into the legendary Candyman.

Why Candyman Kills The Police, Not Brianna

The Complex Antagonist Has A Protective Streak

After seeing everything that happened — William creating a new Candyman through Anthony and the police killing her boyfriend — Brianna took a chance on summoning the vengeful spirit. However, Candyman explained that, in the new mythos, summoning Candyman isn’t an automatic death sentence, as the тιтular vengeful spirit doesn’t murder Brianna.

Candyman kills the police for a couple of reasons, but the primary one is to protect Brianna, whose fate was in the hands of the cops who wanted to blame her for Anthony’s death after they killed him.

Candyman kills the police for a couple of reasons, but the primary one is to protect Brianna, whose fate was in the hands of the cops who wanted to blame her for Anthony’s death after they killed him. In 2021’s Candyman, the character is more of a community protector (though there are a couple of contradictions), killing those who have wronged, harmed, or pose a threat to the Black community in and around Cabrini-Green.

What’s more, Brianna doesn’t die at the hands of the Candyman because, at that moment, she believed in him and his legend. Candyman, now with a swarm of bees buzzing on and around his face, implores Brianna to make sure everyone knows about him. Killing Brianna would have halted the legend of Candyman and prevented it from getting out to the people. Brianna, in this instance, becomes the storyteller, the witness William wanted her to be to explain what happened to the community of Cabrini-Green during the reemergence of Candyman.

Why Tony Todd Is Candyman’s True Form (Not Yahya Abdul-Mateen II)

The Myth Of The Candyman Began When Daniel Robitaille Was Lynched

Tony Todd’s Candyman — Daniel Robitaille — is the original version of the character, the man at the center of the myth. He was an artist and the son of a slave who lived in the late 19th century. Tony Todd was killed by a racist lynch mob after discovering Daniel’s relationship with a white woman named Caroline Sullivan. His killers covered him in honey to attract a swarm of bees and left him for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, later burning his body on a pyre.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Anthony is an extension of the original Candyman’s legend, with the 2021 film expanding on the story of how he and Candyman are linked. Anthony is not the originator of the myth, however, but his work as an artist and the tragedy that befalls him in the final act of the film show he’s a strong successor.

Anthony becoming Candyman doesn’t replace Todd’s iteration — rather, it strengthens it.

Anthony becoming Candyman doesn’t replace Todd’s iteration — rather, it strengthens it. Considering Daniel’s background and how he died, Todd’s version of Candyman will always be the character’s true form no matter what. While 2021’s Candyman expanded on the legend of Candyman by noting that Sherman Fields took on the persona after being killed by police in 1977, it also explained that everything comes back to Daniel, with him simply pᴀssing on the torch to others to carry on his story and to add theirs to the ongoing legend.

What Candyman 2021’s Ending Really Means

Nia DaCosta’s Candyman Reframes The Character As An Avenger Of Racial Injustice

The ending of Candyman primarily signifies the carrying of the torch, the continuation of a legend that lives on through the power of storytelling. Myths are only able to survive through people retelling them and pᴀssing them on to new generations. Without them, Candyman’s legend would have died at the same time he did in the 1890s.

As the old world is replaced and buildings are neglected or torn down, Candyman remains a tether to what was, a piece of history and a reminder of systemic injustice and violence.

As the old world is replaced and buildings are neglected or torn down, Candyman remains a tether to what was, a piece of history and a reminder of systemic injustice and violence. A portion of Candyman’s survival as a myth is also due to Anthony’s artwork, which depicts the many victims of racist violence.

2021’s Candyman explains that Candyman’s existence explores generational pain and its impact on the Black community, how quick people are to discard violence and injustice against them. Candyman’s legend ensures these stories are heard, with the vengeful spirit now acting as a protector, killing those who invoke his name and to right any wrongdoing. In the original film, the bees originated because they were involved directly in Daniel’s death, with the beehive essentially representing the many Black men who have been unjustly killed since Daniel. DaCosta’s Candyman transforms the legend further by creating another Candyman in Sherman Fields.

The hive that surrounds Anthony’s face in the end is also a representation of the collective community who has been harmed, with the Candyman exacting revenge on those responsible for it.

William mentions several more who wrongfully died at the hands of racial violence as they all feed into the legend of Candyman. The hive that surrounds Anthony’s face in the end is also a representation of the collective community who has been harmed, with the Candyman exacting revenge on those responsible for it.

Though one man originated the legend of Candyman, the beehive is significant because it’s made up of the other men who died, like Sherman, as they work together to carry on the legend and the supernatural work Daniel started. They’re all connected through tragedy and the mythology that keeps them alive and the bees work as the Candyman’s calling card, following him no matter where he goes, an equal part of the saga that has come to define him.

How The Candyman 2021 Ending Was Received

The Finale Was Seen As A Strong Ending To A Strong Story

Overall, Nia DaCosta’s reboot of Candyman was well received by fans and critics. The 2021 Candyman movie currently sits with an 84% Tomatometer rating (critical score) and 72% Popcornmeter rating (audience score) on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting that it fared much better than many comparable attempts to revitalize classic horror franchises in the modern age. While there were some critics and fans of the original Candyman movies who didn’t take well to the lore-expanding reinvention, the majority saw it as a strong new direction for the franchise.

The Candyman 2021 ending did factor into the positive response in a roundabout way, though it wasn’t due to any shock twist or pivotal moment which films like The Sixth Sense or Fight Club. Instead, the ending was often taken into consideration as part of appreciation for Nia DaCosta’s broader storytelling abilities and how it significantly fleshed out the Candyman universe. There was also no shortage of praise for how it tied together the many themes in the Candyman 2021 reboot.

For example, Odie Henderson of Roger Ebert states in their review of Candyman 2021 that:

“Candyman” caters to fans of the original without sacrificing its own vision and story. Virginia Madsen briefly cameos (though not onscreen), as does Vanessa Williams, both in their original roles. I wouldn’t dare spoil the reasons for the latter, but the revelation shows just how well this tale is constructed.

Henderson, like many other critics, also went on to praise the work of producer Jordan Peele, and how the 2021 remake of Candyman also serves as a commentary on modern horror movies – a strength that the at times expectation-subverting ending definitely lends itself toward:

Jordan Peele has become the master of balancing the hard truths of being Black and brown in this country with a devilish predilection for goosing the audience the way good horror movies do. You can almost imagine that it was his idea to begin the film with Sammy Davis, Jr.’s cover of “The Candy Man” playing over backwards versions of the Universal and MGM logos. DaCosta’s visual style is a willing accomplice, as is the absolutely disgusting sound mix. She stages the kill scenes with a mix of pitch-black humor, misdirection, and clever framing, fully acknowledging that what you don’t see—or think you saw—can be a lot worse than what you did see. One well-staged murder scene takes place in a very wide sH๏τ as the camera pulls away, giving us the view of someone escaping just as the carnage occurs. Toss in some profoundly gross body horror plus a satisfying ending that nicely closes out its thesis statement, and we have the makings of a fun, thought-provoking time at the movies.

Comparing The Candyman 2021 Ending To The Original

The Finales Are Very Different (Though This Is A Positive)

Like any reboot or remake of a classic horror movie franchise, the ending of Candyman 2021 had a key obstacle to overcome – comparisons to the final moments of the 1992 original. However, comparing the 1992 and 2021 Candyman endings is difficult since the reboot isn’t a remake of the original, but tells its own story within the same universe. They also explore slightly different themes, which means direct analysis of how they convey a specific moral message is also murky.

Ultimately, the differences between the 1992 and 2021 Candyman endings serve as a showcase of just how much Nia DaCosta’s remake has enhanced and expanded the franchise.

Overall, each version of Candyman, be it the 1992 original or 2021 reboot, offers something unique with its final moments. However, they do have some common similarities. Both, for example, end on notes that establish an expansion of the legend of the Candyman, and that new souls have become ensnared in his hive.

Both also strongly focus on the power of word-of-mouth and the importance of spreading the legend of the Candyman himself. However, in the 2021 version, this is done from the perspective of the Candyman almost being an antihero for Brianna and her communтιтy, whereas in the 1992 original it’s simply a method of ensuring the fear he causes lives on.

Ultimately, the differences between the 1992 and 2021 Candyman endings serve as a showcase of just how much Nia DaCosta’s remake has enhanced and expanded the franchise. Many may consider the ending of the 1992 original more iconic, but the ending of Candyman 2021 clearly has more thematic depth, and is a little more nuanced.