In a world where the annual output of the entertainment industry is largely restricted to remakes, reboots, and sequels, it is contentious to argue in favor of more sequels. However, movies like 28 Years Later, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Karate Kid: Legends, and TRON: Ares have made 2025 the year of legacy sequels.

While they’re rare, there exist movie trilogies whose second film is the best, proving the merits of both making sequels and not doing so. Some of them should simply have been duologies, but the first sequel clearly deserved to be made. Movie franchises that bounced back after a disappointing second film also demonstrate why sequels should be more respected.

The rare phenomenon of a movie sequel being better than the original movie makes a case for creating more sequels, even if those examples are mostly exceptions. The slew of disappointing sequels made annually today, like Jurᴀssic World Rebirth and Captain America: Brave New World, makes one dream of those unrealized sequels even more.

10

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone

The Lonely Island, aka the trio of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg, is most famous for their song Everything Is Awesome in The LEGO Movie. However, their musical talents perhaps never shone brighter than in the underrated mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, which parodies the pop music industry.

The film spoofs the typical pop star documentary, which functions more like a formulaic revision of their biggest hits than providing insight into their artistry. The vapid persona of Andy Samberg’s Connor4Real perfectly captures the lack of sincerity in pop stars who get idolized today. There should have been a sequel with more hilarious music and takedowns of the industry.

9

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Directed by Louis Leterrier

The most forgettable MCU movie introduced a cast member who was eventually replaced for his character’s next appearance, but there’s never been a follow-up with the new casting. The MCU’s second-ever movie, starring Edward Norton in and as The Incredible Hulk, deserves a sequel, but we’ll likely never see another solo Hulk movie, due to a problem Mark Ruffalo explained.

Despite playing the character for 13 years and audiences expressing interest in it, Ruffalo won’t get a sequel to The Incredible Hulk. Universal still has the right to refuse distribution, making the investment too risky for Marvel Studios. While Norton’s recasting worked for him and the MCU, it’s a shame Ruffalo will never have a solo outing as the Hulk.

8

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Directed by Luc Besson

From The Terminator and Alien to Jurᴀssic Park and Transformers, the biggest sci-fi movie franchises start strong, often getting progressively worse. However, franchises like Planet of the Apes and Mad Max improve or maintain quality, buoyed by the strength of their character arcs and the potential to explore more parts of their intriguingly designed worlds, which leave audiences wanting more.

So, while Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has unrealized potential and could have been a better sci-fi movie, it is unfortunate that there was never a sequel, despite gorgeous visuals and compelling worldbuilding. The underwhelming characters and forgettable performances doomed it, which led to its production company reporting an 83 million USD loss in half a year.

7

Days of Thunder (1999)

Directed by Tony Scott

Top Gun filmmaker once directed Tom Cruise in another vehicular stunts-heavy movie, 35 years ago, starring the actor as a NASCAR driver, Cole Tracker. While the movie is a perfect time capsule into the ’90s, replete with the common flaws of the action movies of the decade, Cruise’s action star persona today makes one want a Days of Thunder sequel.

However, there is good news on the horizon. The actor has mentioned that a sequel to the racing film is currently in the works. Moreover, the success of racing movies like Gran Turismo and F1 suggests a sequel to Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder should happen now. Despite a forgettable character arc, the film’s racing sequences earn it a sequel.

6

Dredd (2012)

Directed by Pete Travis

Sci-fi movie remakes can sometimes be actually awesome, and Karl Urban made it his mission to prove that when he took over the role of Judge Dredd from Sylvester Stallone, who played him in ’95. Despite Stallone’s screen presence, the original movie lacked insight into the darker themes that its source material explored, due to its pulpy approach to storytelling.

However, writer Alex Garland, who ghost-directed the movie alongside Pete Travis (via GQ), takes a grittier approach, while retaining the stylized nature of the action sequences. Since there are more graphic novels based on the character, fans were hoping to see more Dredd movies, but they never materialized. The film is particularly memorable for its grueling action cinematography and choreography.

5

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

Directed by Chris McKay

Despite three of the four LEGO movies succeeding commercially and critically, the last film was released in 2019, and there’s been no news since 2022. While Universal’s takeover will have impacted the timeline, the last announcement was regarding The LEGO Movie 3. That further confirms that there are no concrete plans to give LEGO Batman his much-deserved second solo movie.

A movie from the last decade that was amazing despite low expectations, The LEGO Batman is one of the best adaptations of the iconic character. While the live-action adaptations continue to portray him as self-serious, grounded, and brooding, The LEGO Batman Movie doesn’t shy away from highlighting his goofy side by making a campy film that should get a sequel.

4

The Nice Guys (2016)

Directed by Shane Black

Comedy movie sequels often fall flat because they fail to recreate the magic of the first movie, which frequently lacks franchise potential. While the Cornetto trilogy, which starts with the hilarious horror comedy movie Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool trilogy are exceptions, they prove that care and attention are the secret to making successful action comedy movie sequels.

However, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe’s action comedy The Nice Guys, which parodies and pays homage to the classic neo-noir films that have inspired generations of filmmakers, deserves a sequel. The characters have fantastic chemistry as mismatched partners, and it’d also be Gosling’s first time appearing in multiple movies in a franchise. Unfortunately, the box office performance killed the sequel talks.

3

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Directed by David Fincher

While David Fincher has never directed a sequel to any of his movies, his The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was supposed to be the first part of a trilogy. Stieg Larsson’s Millennium novel series also inspired a Swedish trilogy of movies, but Fincher’s film is an independent adaptation of the first novel, which was supposed to become a trilogy.

However, the poor box office performance of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which, albeit, remains critically acclaimed, killed the franchise. Rooney Mara was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her performance, and it’s a shame she never got to continue playing the character. The soft reboot, 2018’s The Girl in the Spider’s Web, failed commercially and critically.

2

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Peter Jackson, whose The Lord of the Rings movies forever changed the fantasy genre, and Steven Spielberg, who has directed multiple franchises from Jurᴀssic Park to Indiana Jones, launched the animated Tintin feature film franchise together. The plan was for them to alternately direct entries. However, nearly a decade and a half later, the first of the sequels remains unrealized.

While Peter Jackson has been busy with his documentaries and the other projects in the Lord of the Rings franchise, it is disheartening to realize the sequel to The Adventures of Tintin might never happen. The film, whose lively animation renders Hergé’s graphic novels in 3D while retaining their original flair, remains Steven Spielberg’s only animated movie, proving he should make more.

1

District 9 (2009)

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

The revival of franchises like 28 Days Later, Bridget Jones, and Final Destination may make fans hopeful for the long-awaited sequel to District 9, but its confirmation isn’t final yet. Despite Neill Blomkamp’s recent success with Gran Turismo, the moment might have pᴀssed for the sci-fi film to become a franchise. Despite conversations about it, Blomkamp sounds skeptical, possibly uninterested.

District 9 is set in a world where alien refugees reside in a sealed-off complex on Earth. They have arrived with the hope of surviving after their own planet starts dying. The film’s exploration of the pitfalls of humanity and the ruinous consequences of corporate greed make it ever relevant, and it’s crushing that District 9 never got a sequel.