The following contains spoilers for The Bad Guys 2, now playing in theatersThe Bad Guys 2 ends on a fun and open-ended note, which suggests a wide-open future for DreamWorks’ latest big-budget animated franchise. The film focuses on the тιтular Bad Guys, a crew of career criminals who are struggling to go good. The Bad Guys debuted in 2022 to strong reviews and became a sleeper hit for DreamWorks, setting up some short films and a holiday special. The series is now formally returning to the big screen with The Bad Guys 2, which ups the ante by introducing new villains and a heist in space.

The Bad Guys 2 matches the entertaining tenor of the first film, with the stylish and silly take on the heist film incorporating some surprisingly introspective observations about the nature of redemption in society. That doesn’t detract from the film’s loftier goals, setting up several potential directions for sequel storylines. Here are all the ways The Bad Guys 2 sets up the future of the franchise in exciting ways.

Why The Bad Guys Fake Their Deaths

The Bad Guys Have a New Gig Going Forward

The Bad Guys 2‘s ending sets up a whole new slew of adventures for Wolf and his gang after they fake their deaths, transforming the master criminals into secret agents for future stories. After successfully defeating the Bad Girls, clearing their names, and faking their deaths, the Bad Guys are recruited by a new government agency.

The final scene of the film showcases the Bad Guys — with Diane now formally a member of the gang — in suits heading off on a mission. This sets up any prospective sequels to The Bad Guys to graduate from heist film riffs to an animated take on a spy caper, itself a genre ripe for parodying.

The Bad Guys 2 escalates the stakes for Mr. Wolf and the rest of his friends to the point where they survive an impromptu sprint up a moving rocket. Taking things in the spy thriller direction could allow them to keep pushing the extremes of the series, similar to certain eras of the James Bond franchise.

It’s a clever tactic for the series to take, leaving plenty of room for an ongoing plot to develop or giving the straightforward freedom to do stand-alone adventures. The main characters have been so thoroughly defined in the first two films that any of them could carry a connected film, show, or short.

How Professor Marmalade’s Bad Guys 2 Plan Sets Up A Cosmic Sequel

Professor Marmalade Has Apparently Been An Alien All Along

Professor Marmalade was the main villain of The Bad Guys, an evil genius who schemes to frame the Bad Guys for his litany of crimes. After being arrested for the Crimson Paw’s actions in The Bad Guys‘ ending, Marmalade spends The Bad Guys 2 imprisoned. He’s initially a source of information for Diane, as well as an advisor to Kitty Kat.

However, the post-credits scene teases that the villain had a much larger hand in the plot than initially presented. During the climax of The Bad Guys 2, Marmalade was seemingly doomed when his gold limo (with him inside) was lifted into space by the Bad Girls’ scheme. However, the post-credits scene reveals this was his plan all along.

The limo is actually a rocket, allowing him to travel into deep space. His mention of “going home” also suggests a previously unknown alien origin for the villain. It’s a big change from his previous appearance, and could set up a far more cosmic danger at play in a potential The Bad Guys 3.

Marmalde has effectively become a lingering thread The Bad Guys can return to at any point, even if they charge ahead with more stand-alone adventure stories about the Bad Guys working as spies. It’s a fun and unexpectedly weird beat for an already off-kilter film, which could set up a much bigger future storyline.

What Happens To The Bad Girls (And How They Could Return)

The Bad Girls Could Easily Return In Future Storylines

The Bad Girls — Kitty Kat, Doom, and Pigtail Petrova — are the central antagonists of The Bad Guys 2, although Kitty is the only one portrayed as actively malicious. All of them are arrested by the end of the film, though Doom and Pigtail are shown enjoying each other’s company while Kitty stews in isolation.

This notably leaves the door open for any of the three to return in future stories. Petrova developed a silly dynamic with the rest of the Bad Guys, which could serve as some fun comic relief in a future film. Likewise, Doom’s romantic dynamic with Snake is reiterated at the end of the film, with Snake leaving a message for her that could pay off later.

The most interesting potential future for the series lies with Kitty. Revealed to be just as ruthless as she is ambitious, Kitty is a uniquely brutal figure in the openly cartoonish world of The Bad Guys. Kitty could easily return as an antagonist, continuing her role from The Bad Guys 2 as a dark foil to Wolf in future stories.

However, she could also prove to be too valuable a resource to waste. As such, future stories could require the Bad Guys to recruit Kitty for a new mission, turning her into a dangerous wildcard instead of the more overt antagonist that Professor Marmalade becomes by the end of the film. It’s a wide-open future for the Bad Girls in future films.

The Bad Guys 2 Sets Up Two Major Romance Subplots For Future Films

Wolf And Fox’s Romance Could Drive Future Storylines

The Bad Guys films have proven blunt in their more adult themes compared to other DreamWorks movies. This carries over to the two romance subplots of the movie. The more comical (and plot-relevant one) is Doom’s seduction of Snake. Snake is only more attracted to her after every betrayal, a comedic beat that pays off when she saves his life.

A sequel to The Bad Guys 2 could continue that relationship. DreamWorks could also use Snake and Doom’s next rendezvous (and whatever shenanigans it causes) as the basis for a special or short. The more important romance for the greater series is the one that blossoms between Wolf and Diane.

Diane and Wolf flirted in the first film, and the sequel quickly establishes a mutual attraction that they can’t follow through on because of the optics of Diane (the state governor) beginning a relationship with a known criminal. After being exposed as a thief herself, Diane stops caring and gives Wolf a deep kiss during the climax.

With Diane seemingly a full-time member of the Bad Guys now that they’ve become spies, the romance between her and Wolf will likely be a driving factor in future stories. They could remain a couple in the field, be challenged by major life events together, or struggle with working together after splitting. There’s a lot of potential there for The Bad Guys 3.

The True Meaning Of The Bad Guys 2

Redemption Is Hard, But Worth It

Amid the slapstick action and colorful betrayals, The Bad Guys 2 is about the challenges faced by people navigating life after being caught in the justice system. The Bad Guys had their redemption arc, but they’re still ex-cons who can’t get steady jobs and struggle to pay the rent.

The film explores the hopelessness of being condemned by a world that they’re struggling to prove themselves to. Wolf is even briefly tempted by the prospect of turning on the society that seems to want nothing to do with him. The film underscores that respect is earned, personified by Wolf’s dynamic with Commissioner Misty Luggins.

In his past, Wolf used fear as a tool to become notorious, something Luggins reminds him of. Kitty relies on fear, going even further by threatening her compatriots and endangering the world, all to “make a statement.” The difference is that Wolf wants to be redeemed and is willing to put in the work to earn respect instead of scaring people.

This leads Wolf to work with Luggins, eventually convincing her to trust him. This willingness to take a chance on the Bad Guys saves countless lives from the fallout of Kitty’s plans. The Bad Guys 2 is quietly about a movie about how redemption takes work on both sides, and the good it can do when it’s fully achieved.