The hit 2021 action movie Nobody has a simple formula – wall-to-wall carnage with an explosive ending that leaves the door open for an entire franchise = but Nobody ending explained means the gears could already be turning for Nobody 2. Nobody follows retired ᴀssᴀssin turned family man Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) after he fails to defend his family from two intruders who break into his home in the middle of the night. The incident reignites the urge to fight in Hutch, which leads to him angering a dangerous Russian mobster named Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebryakov). Hutch returned to his old ways to keep his family safe.
In the Nobody ending, Hutch’s brother Harry (RZA) and father David (Back to the Future‘s Christopher Lloyd), also retired ᴀssᴀssins, come to Hutch’s aid, and the Mansells take down every member of Kuznetsov’s mob. The movie’s last scene picks up a few months later with Hutch and his wife Becca buying a new home and attempting a fresh start. However, Hutch receives a mysterious phone call, which implies that he is officially back in the business. Who called Hutch at the end of Nobody, and why, still isn’t known, but it perfectly sets up the Nobody sequel.
Nobody Ending Explained
Who Called Hutch And What It Means
In Nobody‘s final moment, a realtor shows unlikely action hero Hutch and Becca around a new home. At first, it seems to be a moment showing that Hutch has given up his old ways and is firmly committed to his family. But suddenly, their realtor receives two calls back-to-back. Becca encourages her to answer the phone, and it turns out the call is for Hutch. He and Becca subsequently ask if the house has a basement. Earlier, Hutch sent his family to their secured basement when they were in danger. His response to the phone call implies he’ll be back at work soon – though things will be different this time.
Hutch previously got out of the game because he found himself jealous of an old mark who settled down and had a family. Hutch found all of that, but he’s clearly unhappy with the white picket fence lifestyle. Nobody opens with a quick montage of three weeks in Hutch’s boring life and marriage. That boredom stopped him from protecting his family on the night of the robbery – but his reaction to that incident is what showed him that he missed his old life. When Nobody 2 arrives in 2025, Hutch may yet realize that there’s no escaping his pᴀssion for the ᴀssᴀssin’s life.
Hutch set off a John Wick-like dangerous chain of events when he angered Kuznetsov. But with the safety of his family at stake, he had the motivation to see the job through. Initially, this seemed like a one-and-done situation. But after receiving the call on his relator’s phone, Hutch seemed content – happy almost. This suggests that someone heard that he took out Kuznetsov and has more work for him. The Nobody soundtrack caps off these final scenes with “Let The Good Times Roll”, the тιтle of which could itself be a hint that Hutch’s adventures aren’t over yet.
Nobody’s Mid-Credits Scene Explained
Harry And David Will Likely Return
The Nobody post-credits scene sees Harry and David on a very specific mission. The scene picks up with the father and son duo after they escaped the showdown with the Russian characters in Nobody. They’re driving in an RV and seem to have a very specific destination in mind. The camera pans to the back of the RV and sees that it is loaded with weapons. Harry was previously thought to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and, as David lived in a retirement home, he was thought to be long-retired. But it’s clear that these two are back in action.
Their mission likely relates to Hutch’s final scene phone call. Nobody demonstrates that Hutch will give anything to protect his family, and he thrives working side-by-side with them. That means Harry and David are likely heading back to wherever Hutch has settled in order to help him carry out this next job. This is what sets Nobody apart from other run-of-the-mill shoot ’em-up movies. Nobody was written by Derek Kolstad, who also wrote John Wick, and like Hutch, Wick is a renowned ᴀssᴀssin. However, Wick is alone in the world and has nothing left to lose. Hutch still has his family left, meaning that he has some boundaries that cannot be crossed.
How Nobody Sets Up a Sequel
While many original movies hope they are successful enough to warrant a sequel, the Nobody ending lays down the groundwork to establish a story that can last for multiple movies. Nobody sets up a strong internal conflict within Odenkirk’s Hutch – a family man with a violent past that finds the suburban dad lifestyle unfulfilling. He’s good at what he does, but every job could put his family in jeopardy. The ending shows that he has found a solid temporary solution by ensuring wherever he lives has a secure basement – but that won’t last forever. Nobody 2 will likely force Hutch to choose between his work and his family once and for all.
Nobody also sparks a dangerous external conflict for Hutch in Nobody 2. Kuznetsov was a well-connected man in the criminal underworld. While the Mansells took out all the Russians in Nobody‘s finale, Kuznetsov likely has some equally powerful friends. They’ll be furious to find out that Kuznetsov had been killed, meaning they’ll likely come after Hutch. Similar to how John Wick burns bridges in John Wick: Chapter 4, Hutch will find out who he can rely on in Nobody 2. This opens the door for an endless string of villains and allies to come after Hutch or offer their help, which leads to the opportunity of multiple movies.
A Nobody Sequel Is Happening
Nobody 2 Is Arriving In 2025
Universal has officially greenlit Nobody 2. With the first film reaping $56 million from its paltry $16 million budget and the narrative momentum setting up a sequel, Odenkirk, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd will be blowing up screens again in the Nobody universe. Producer David Leitch explained, “Oh, I think everyone’s really excited about it. Everyone involved is like, ‘Full steam ahead.’ We are in the script process, and I think we had so much fun making that. Kelly [McCormick] and I had a blast, the actors had a blast, the studio loved the results, and it’s happening” (via Collider).
Greenlighting a movie’s development doesn’t always mean the movie sees the light of day, as so many films end up in development hell. However, there was no issue with Nobody 2’s development, and the movie is already going into production. Not only is Nobody 2 confirmed, but Bob Odenkirk revealed that Nobody 2 started shooting in 2023. The actor added, “We need to make a great sequel. And so it’s about making sure that we get it right.” Nobody 2 currently has a 2025 release date, meaning fans won’t have to wait long for Hutch’s next adventure.
The Real Meaning Of Nobody’s Ending
A Bloody Story About Finding Oneself
The ending of Nobody doesn’t just wrap up Hutch Mansell’s explosive journey – it underscores the importance and value of a reclaimed idenтιтy. By the time the dust settles, Hutch isn’t just a suburban dad with a dark past; he’s someone who has accepted both halves of himself. The man viewers see walking away from the wreckage of the warehouse isn’t conflicted anymore . By the time the credits colle, it’s Hutch that’s in control.
When Hutch chooses to spare Yulian’s life at first and then ends up orchestrating a fiery, booby-trapped climax, it’s not about vengeance. It’s about drawing a clear line in the sand: this is who I am, and I won’t hide it anymore. The character’s arc is less about transformation and more about revelation. The “Nobody” of the тιтle turns out to be someone who was never truly gone – just dormant.
Hutch isn’t running from violence anymore, but he’s also not letting it consume him.
Symbolically, the ending of Nobody doubles down on the movie’s central theme: the tension between domesticity and danger. Hutch isn’t running from violence anymore, but he’s also not letting it consume him. The phone call in the post-credits scene, where he’s asked if his new house has a basement, plays as both a punchline and a setup. It tells viewers he’s still in the game – still ready to flip the switch when needed.
That balance – between family man and ᴀssᴀssin – is what gives Nobody its unexpected emotional depth. This isn’t just another revenge flick. It’s a story about reclaiming agency, and about finding freedom in the things that once shackled you. Hutch’s ending doesn’t mean peace and quiet – it means peace with himself. And in a genre crowded with stoic tough guys, that self-awareness gives Nobody a surprisingly human edge.
How The Nobody Ending Was Received
A Predictable Yet Satisfying Conclusion
Nobody was met with glowing reviews from both critics and audiences when it debuted in 2021. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an impressive 84% critic score and a stellar 94% audience score – numbers that reflect just how much the film resonated across the board. The movie’s breakneck pacing, inventive action, and Bob Odenkirk’s surprising turn as an action star stole the spotlight, and while the ending didn’t necessarily redefine Nobody, it did successfully tease a sequel fans were eager to see.
Critics were quick to praise the movie’s confident direction and standout fight choreography. Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert gave Nobody 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting how the movie leans into what matters most:
“[Director Ilya Naishuller] ultimately gets what matters here right, giving a talented actor an unexpected vehicle to drive really fast with just enough bloodshed for action fans, and not too much gore for average audiences. It’s the rare modern action film that makes me hope it does well enough to produce a sequel.”
He also added,
“‘Nobody’ works because it values scene construction and action choreography above all else, leaving behind pretension and the overplotting that’s been common in the genre in recent years.”
In other words, Nobody didn’t win over viewers with plot twists or shocking reveals – it succeeded by being straightforward, stylish, and self-aware.
Benjamin Lee of The Guardian was of a similar mind to Tallerico and many other critics who enjoyed Nobody immensely despite the ending perhaps doing nothing unexpected. While he noted that the story and ending were somewhat formulaic, he emphasized that it didn’t matter when everything else was firing on all cylinders:
“There’s a simple, shaggy charm to watching Hutch rediscover his particular set of skills,” Lee wrote, praising the film’s now-iconic bus fight. “He’s an imperfect yet resilient fighter, believably hampered by age, making him a character far more thrilling to watch than say, any one of [Liam] Neeson’s no-stakes superheroes.”
Ultimately, the ending of Nobody wasn’t the showstopper – it was the exclamation point. A satisfying finale that stayed true to the movie’s idenтιтy while opening the door for even more mayhem in Nobody 2.
Will The Nobody Sequel Be A John Wick Crossover?
There Are No Plans To Merge The Franchises (For Now)
Long-time fans of both Bob Odenkirk and Keanu Reeves have wondered whether their respective characters could show up in the same movies sometime in the future – maybe even in a John Wick spinoff. Ilya Naishuller, Nobody’s director, has teased the possibility that John Wick and Hutch Mansell share a narrative universe with crossover potential (despite hailing from different studios. When Naishuller spoke to IndieWire, he said that “everything’s possible” and that “stranger things have happened.” That’s not a yes – instead, it’s an invitation to watch the next movie and see what happens.
While not everything needs a sequel, Nobody was a rollicking revenge ride that provides similar thrills to John Wick and its successors — which ended up getting better (and making more money) with each consecutive release. These movies would be excellent thematic and tonal bedfellows, and the Keanu Reeves/Bob Odenkirk two-hander would provide interesting target practice for chemistry development. Whether after Nobody 2 or any upcoming John Wick movie or spinoff, there will be plenty of opportunities for David Kolstad to create his own shared universe.
