The following contains spoilers for Heads of State, now streaming on Prime VideoHeads of State has a secretive villain hiding in plain sight, who plays an important role in the conspiracy to kill President Will Derringer and Prime Minister Sam Clarke. Heads of State focuses on the two world leaders, who have grown increasingly frustrated with one another. However, when a mysterious figure tries to kill them both, they’re forced to come together if they want any chance of reaching NATO in time to keep the alliance from splintering under the pressure of the secret conspiracy.

Heads of State‘s cast of characters is largely rooted in this conspiracy, with most of the cast either involved in the scheme or working with Will and Sam to expose it. This leads to a rip-roaring good time, with a charming cast that elevates the basic action movie elements of the film. Here’s how Heads of State‘s conspiracy works out, how it plays into the film’s overarching political worldview, and if it sets up a sequel.

Who Is Trying To Kill Will And Sam In Heads Of State

A Weapons Dealer And The Vice President Are Behind Heads Of State’s Climax

Heads of State has two major villains working together to kill Will and Sam as part of their overarching scheme to destroy the NATO alliance. Viktor Gradov is the most obvious antagonist of the film, an arms dealer who is working to upend the NATO alliance. This turns out to be because NATO accidentally killed his brilliant son in a raid.

Afterwards, NATO hid the evidence of the crime and took his technology to apply to their own security apparatus. Furious with this cover-up, Gradov spends the entire film ruthlessly trying to bring down the countries that still benefit from this crime. His scheme reveals NATO’s various sabotages of one another’s interests, threatening the alliance.

One of Gradov’s main allies turns out to be Elizabeth Kirk, Will’s Vice President. Revealed to be an isolationist with a grim view of the rest of the world, Kirk pushed the conspiracy as a means of taking power, at which point she would “fail” to keep the NATO alliance from splintering.

After Will and Sam survive Gradov and Kirk’s efforts to kill them, they expose the conspiracy and help ensure the alliance endures. In the ensuing chaos, Kirk is killed by Gradov, who arrives on the scene to kill the NATO leadership himself. He’s eventually killed by Sam and Will, ending the conspiracy.

Heads Of State’s Post-Credits Scene Confirms Marty Survived

Heads Of State’s Most Bizarre Character Comes Back In The Post-Credits Scene

One of the more memorable side characters in Head of State is Marty, an enthusiastic field agent who has been itching for action. His safe house provides Will and Sam with vital time to regroup and stock up on weapons before they’re found by Sasha and Olga, Gradov’s main agents.

Marty stays behind to cover their escape, dispatching much of the Killer’s guard but failing to stop them before being sH๏τ in the head. The post-credits scene of Heads of State reveals that Marty actually survived this, however, thanks to a metal plate in his head.

While this story fails to impress many civilian women, Noel is seen overhearing it and sharing a drink with him afterwards to thank him for helping Sam. This sets up Marty to make a return if the film generates a sequel, which could give the character more time in the spotlight.

Why Do Sam And Will Not Like One Another In Heads Of State

How The Central Tension Of Heads Of State Plays Into The Themes Of The Film

At the core of Heads of State‘s comedic dynamic is the relationship between Will and Sam. Sam is a dedicated public servant who spent much of his life serving the community, whether that be in the field as an agent or in politics as a representative. This also turns out to be the primary source of his dislike for Will.

While Sam worked his way up in the world, Will became famous as an action movie star. He’s all style and, at least in Sam’s eyes, no substance. This dislike is clear to everyone, including Will, who takes it personally and holds it against Sam that he shared a meal with Will’s political rival, seemingly endorsing him during the election.

Sam and Will’s feud plays out in an interesting fashion, as it’s not resolved by the two of them truly discovering some new empathy or understanding for one another. Instead, a big focus of the film is the pair coming to terms with their differences and learning not to take things so seriously.

This builds to their speech to NATO during the climax of the film, where they argue that the nations of the world have a responsibility to get over their initial ᴀssumptions and frustrations to find a way to work together. By doing so, the pair were able to survive the events of the film and even become close by the movie’s final moments.

Does Heads of State Set Up A Sequel?

Heads Of State Ends On A Self-Contained Note, But Could Be Expanded Into Future Stories

Heads of State doesn’t necessarily set up a sequel, but there are plenty of directions to take a potential follow-up. Heads of State ends with Will and Sam as friends, having moved past their initial animosity to find a respect for one another. A future film picking up from the plot of the well-reviewed comedy could easily revisit that dynamic.

Heads of State also reveals that Noel and Sam have restarted their romance. A sequel could revisit the relationship and play with their respective responsibilities and the natural tensions that would arise from the Prime Minister being in a romance with one of his best field agents.

While heroes like Marty could return for a sequel, Heads of State‘s antagonists die. However, given the emotional motivation that all of them had in their crueler actions, it could be easy enough to introduce other characters seeking to avenge their deaths. There’s also their means of hacking the NATO security, which could be utilized by a new threat.

The True Meaning Of Heads Of State’s Ending

Heads Of State Is A Surprisingly Political Movie

Despite being largely focused on comedy and action above all else, Heads of State actually has a fairly strong political message. Heads of State‘s big twist about Vice President surrounds a United States politician who wants to remove the country from the international stage, which is a relevant theme to explore given modern politics in America.

As Kirk furiously explains shortly before her death, she sees the rest of the world as leeches, sucking off the United States for their own resources. It’s telling that the film’s thesis is that NATO, for all its flaws and internal squabbles, is still an alliance worth pursuing.

Kirk is portrayed as needlessly cruel, and suffers an inglorious fate after working with a dangerous Russian. This plan only gets her killed, while NATO moves beyond her conspiracy and the American government doubles down on their alliances.

The American President, although capable and enduring in his own ways, only survives the events of the film thanks to the sacrifice and aid of others, like the British Sam and Noel or the Eastern European sheep farmer. Heads of State speaks to the film’s themes, which argue that America (and the rest of the world) can’t turn their backs on one another, despite their differences.