Director David Derrick Jr. has teased that Matangi’s unsteady allegiance in Moana 2 could mean bigger conflicts are ahead. Disney’s sequel sees Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) off on a new journey to restore the lost island of Motufetu and undo the curse placed on the ocean by the storm god Nalo. The duo faces dangerous new villains, including Matangi—a mysterious bat lady who serves Nalo but was crucial in aiding Moana on her quest. While Moana 2 amᴀssed $1.05 billion at the worldwide box office, Disney has yet to announce plans for Moana 3.

In an interview with The Wrap, Derrick Jr. confirms that Matangi could be a potential ally for Moana, but her current allegiance to Nalo complicates her role in the story. Moana 2 ends with Moana successfully restoring the island and even developing new powers as a demigod, but its mid-credits scene confirms that Nalo’s reign of terror is far from over, setting up Moana 3 for an even bigger adventure. Read what he had to say below:

It’s something we always played with, we always wanted Tamatoa to come in, in some way, we wanted to see Nalo and show the complicated relationship Matangi has – she’s team Moana, but she has to play both sides for a while because she’s in a tricky spot. And the placement of it, we wanted to go out on the most euphoric way possible, with Moana and her crew chasing the horizon, let some credits roll and then have some fun with our villains. There’d be a breath between them. But I love that. It hints at future problems.

What This Means For Moana 3

Nalo’s Influence Over Matangi Could Spell Trouble

The Moana 2 post-credits scene shows Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) reporting back to Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i), trying to convince him that she had no role in Moana and Maui’s victory and has paid her dues. However, Nalo subdues her with a bolt of lightning and ominously declares, “No, we are just getting started.” This confirms that, at least in the beginning of Moana 3, Matangi will still be in servitude to the storm god. As Derrick Jr. teases, Matangi is ultimately “team Moana,” but she could be stuck playing both sides, making her an unpredictable force in the third movie’s story.

The post-credits scene also confirms the return of the shiny-object-loving giant crab, Tamatoa, from the 2016 film. With Nalo growing more powerful and Tamatoa eager for revenge, Moana and Maui will need all the help they can get. If Matangi can be freed from her servitude, she could become a powerful ally against the lightning god. Yet, if Moana 2’s bat lady remains trapped under his control, Matangi might instead serve as one of the third film’s primary threats.

Our Take On Matangi In Moana 3

Moana’s Next Journey Is Already Taking Shape

Given Moana 2‘s overwhelming theatrical success, it seems like only a matter of time before Moana surfs the tides again in Moana 3. Matangi remains mostly absent from the sequel, but her character represents an interesting dilemma that’s ripe for further exploration. Given Nalo’s fury in the post-credits scene, he is more likely to be positioned as the true villain of Moana 3. Unlike Moana 2, where he was an unseen force pulling the strings, the next film could see him taking matters into his own hands with Matangi as the unlikely ally.

Source: The Wrap