Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Back in Action!

Netflix’s Back in Action has finally been released, and here’s what happens in the film’s ending, explained. Back in Action has finally brought Cameron Diaz out of retirement, with her starring alongside Jamie Foxx in her first movie since 2014’s Annie. The Netflix Original comedy film comes from Horrible Bosses and Idenтιтy Thief director Seth Gordon, with it taking the filmmaker’s style of comedy and adding in a lot of action. The explosive ending of Back in Action sees a lot of change happen to Diaz’s Emily and Foxx’s Matt, and here is a full breakdown of everything that happens.

In Back in Action, Emily and Matt have been retired from their spy jobs for 15 years when a public incident leads to their secret idenтιтies being exposed. Now that enemies from their past are after them, Emily, Matt, and their two kids must go on the run in an attempt to save their family and figure out who is trying to kill them. As it turns out, these villains are connected to Emily and Matt’s final case from 15 years ago, with them being betrayed by an old friend. Luckily, they manage to defeat the villains and return home, although Emily and Matt are met with the promise of one last mission.

Will Emily & Matt Continue Being Spies?

What Happens After The Movie’s Ending?

Throughout Back in Action, Cameron Diaz’s Emily seems to be longing for the days that her and her husband were spies, with her explaining that she misses the days of espionage and starting coups. Soon after this, Emily and Matt are forced to return to their old ways when their idenтιтies are revealed. While they obviously aren’t fans of their kids being in danger, Emily and Matt do seem to get some enjoyment out of their new adventure. By the end of it, the couple is back in retirement, although they are given the opportunity for another mission.

At the very end of the film, Emily and Matt get in their car to discover that Baron is already in it, sitting in the back seat. Baron explains that they aren’t done with Emily and Matt yet, as they have a problem: Chuck’s body wasn’t recovered. Thus, the United States government needs Emily and Matt’s help in finding it, with Baron asking them to recruit another spy: Emily’s father. While the couple is hesitant to rejoin, it looks like they don’t have much of an option, meaning that Emily and Matt will probably be back on the mission field sometime soon.

Why Chuck Betrays Emily & Matt

Back In Action’s Big Twist Explained

The big twist of Back in Action is that the film’s main villain is none other that Kyle Chandler’s Chuck, the former boss of Emily and Matt when they were at the CIA. As it turns out, Chuck has taken a villainous turn in the 15 years since Emily and Matt’s fiasco on the airplane. After discovering that their idenтιтies have been revealed, Chuck locates the spies in an attempt to steal the key that Matt has been holding for 15 years. Getting the key and killing the spies would not only make Chuck incredibly rich, but it would also allow him to get revenge after Emily and Matt ruined his life.

Upon revealing that he is a villain, Chuck explains that everything went downhill after Emily and Matt disappeared. The spies’ disappearance and the fiasco on the airplane led to the blame getting placed on Chuck. Chuck says that he lost his CIA job, his pension, and his dog, leading to him having a deep hatred for Emily and Matt. While getting revenge on the spies isn’t Chuck’s main motivation, with him preferring the money, he does say that killing them is an added bonus.

What Balthazar Gor’s Key Actually Does

And Why Everybody Wants It

Another villain named Balthazar Gor plays a major role in Back in Action, with him originally owning the key that acts as the story’s MacGuffin. Although it is known that the key is incredibly valuable, Back in Action doesn’t reveal what it actually does until near the end of the film. While auctioning the key off, Chuck tells his ᴀssistant to use the key, with her plugging it in and beginning to hack into some city servers. This reveals that the key seemingly lets its user control all of the electricity in any given city, with her turning the power in London off.

The key also does things like allow Chuck to lower the Thames Barrier, with this having the potential to flood London. The participant in the auction who buys it seemingly wants to use it in Paris, although he doesn’t get the chance before Chuck’s death. The full extent of the key’s powers aren’t shown, but based on what Back in Action does reveal about the item, whoever owns it would be a force to be reckoned with.

The Real Meaning Of Back In Action’s Ending

The Kids Are The Most Important Part

Although the world of Back in Action is filled with guns, espionage, and action, the film is really about family and trust. Throughout the movie, Emily and Matt’s lack of trust in their kids is what causes many of their problems, with their attempts to get their daughter out of the club being what gets their idenтιтies leaked in the first place. In an attempt to protect their kids, they only end up putting them in danger. Emily and Matt need to loosen their grip on their kids, or else they risk turning out like Emily and her mother did.

Luckily, Emily and Matt learn this lesson by the end of Back in Action. While at the soccer game, Emily tells her daughter that she no longer has to lie to her about what she is doing, with Emily being far more approving. This is a big change from the helicopter parenting that Emily and Patt utilized earlier in the film, highlighting how much growth they went through on their journey.

How Back In Action’s Ending Sets Up Back In Action 2

Will There Be A Sequel?

There has been no word on a sequel to Back in Action yet, with a follow-up having now been announced. However, Back in Action is clearly setting one up, with the film’s final scene laying out what the plot of Back in Action 2 will probably be. The next story will follow Emily and Matt as they work with the CIA to locate Chuck’s body. This time, however, they will have to be helped by a new character in the form of Emily’s father. Back in Action fans will undoubtedly want to see this new storyline, something that could happen if the original film is successful.