Despite being in development hell, an Edge of Tomorrow sequel has been teased over the years, with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt both looking to return. Loosely based on the Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Edge of Tomorrow featured a fantastic cast, and followed inexperienced PR officer, Major William Cage (Cruise), who is forced to join the battle against the aliens in a futuristic Europe but finds himself stuck in a time loop. As a result, Cruise’s Cage dies repeatedly in Edge of Tomorrow, only to find himself reawakening to join the battle again.

Edge of Tomorrow received positive reviews from both audiences and critics and is considered one of 2010s’ best sci-fi action movies. Director Doug Liman’s film does a good job of exploring time loops, and its action sequences were impressive. However, there is some confusion surrounding Edge of Tomorrow’s ending, as it never truly explained why Cage got one final reset. Edge of Tomorrow’s ambiguous conclusion left room for a sequel, which has been discussed for quite some time. Yet, Edge of Tomorrow 2 needs to be more than a typical sequel to the original $377 million sci-fi movie.

Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Should Not Be A Sequel (At Least Not Chronologically)

Director Doug Liman Cites Some Of The Sequel’s Delays Are Due To Time Travel Rules

Recently, Edge of Tomorrow made headway on Netflix’s Top 10 list in 2024, demonstrating a clear audience for the sci-fi movie 10 years after its initial release. Consequently, discussion has resurfaced about the status of Edge of Tomorrow 2’s development, with many wondering if a sequel will be released, especially following January 2024’s contractual partnership with Tom Cruise and Warner Bros. Pictures. There are many directions an Edge of Tomorrow sequel could go, with the most obvious premise being to follow on from the original film, exploring the events after Major Cage’s final loop.

However, original director Doug Liman has said that Edge of Tomorrow 2’s development is hindered by time travel rules. In a 2024 interview, he explained that “time travel’s really tough,” but the main reason Doug Liman cited for Edge of Tomorrow 2’s delay was because “I know for a fact humans are never going to travel through time,” making the sequel’s story difficult to justify. On the other hand, the lack of explanation regarding the alien lore leaves plenty of questions to be answered in an Edge of Tomorrow sequel, so a prequel story may be a better premise.

Edge Of Tomorrow 2 Can Be A Prequel And A Sequel At The Same Time

A Time-Bending Sequel Would Be A Perfect Follow-Up To Edge Of Tomorrow

One proposed idea for a sequel is to instead focus on explaining Edge of Tomorrow’s Omega origins in a prequel story. The 2014 movie launched audiences straight into the center of the action, concentrating on the battle element with time loop chaos. Yet this meant that not much was actually explained about the aliens they were attacking, including why they came to Earth and where they came from. While the movie did briefly touch on the aliens’ lore, it left much to be desired, but Edge of Tomorrow’s alien mysteries could be the perfect setup for a sequel prequel.

Furthermore, as one of the best time loop movies outside of Groundhog Day, the time travel element of Edge of Tomorrow’s action-packed premise made it a brilliantly distinctive movie. By introducing such a wild concept into the movie’s universe, it means that Edge of Tomorrow 2 could have fun with the timeline, and it does not have to be chronological or linear. If they were to approach time travel like they did with the 2014 movie’s time loop, Edge of Tomorrow 2 could be a fantastical time traveling story that serves as the perfect sequel to Edge of Tomorrow.