Akiva Goldsman confirmed that Will Smith’s character will return in I Am Legend 2, following the DVD’s alternate ending.

Will Smith is a powerhouse when it comes to minting out one successful movie after another. One such movie of his was 2007’s I Am Legend, in which Smith portrayed the role of Robert Neville. The last survivor of a virus that wiped out the entire city of New York, and towards the end of the movie, Neville sacrifices his life to save humanity.

Will Smith in a still from I Am Legend || Warner Bros. Pictures

The movie was a box office hit, and in 2022, reports confirmed a sequel titled I Am Legend 2 was being developed by Warner Bros. Now, producer and writer Akiva Goldsman has made a bombshell reveal on how Will Smith’s character will make a comeback in the sequel.

Screenwriter Unleashes the Alternate Ending for Will Smith’s Character in I Am Legend 2

Will Smith in a still from I Am Legend || Warner Bros. Pictures

The post-apocalyptic action thriller kept the fans hooked to their seats. And now they have more reasons to rejoice as the screenwriter of the original movie just confirmed that work on the sequel, I Am Legend 2 is in full swing. This update happened during the Producers on Producing panel (via Collider), where Akiva Goldsman was present alongside producers Roy Lee and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

The screenwriter also added that Will Smith will be joining the sequel as well as reprising his role as scientist Robert Neville. This was indeed good news for the fans, but they were also concerned given that Smith’s character died in the original movie. To this, Goldsman confirmed that the sequel will be based on the alternate ending of the DVD version of the movie. He added:

The world returns, and it returns in a way that is kind of spectacular. So, that’s a really exciting playground for all of us because it’s not your father’s I Am Legend.

The screenwriter also added that Michael B. Jordan would also join the cast alongside Will Smith. Further, he’s currently working on the movie draft with Smith, Jordan, and the producers. And that the public should expect some good news really soon. On the potential storyline of the upcoming sequel, he added:

Yeah, and I will tell you something about Legend—it’s counterintuitive, what happens to New York after 30 years, because you imagine a post-apocalyptic scenario, but if you actually do research about what happens to cities, it’s pretty much the opposite. 

Given the immense popularity of the original movie released in 2007, the sequel is brimming with promise and potential.

Will Smith and Alice Braga in a still from I Am Legend || Warner Bros. Pictures

Further, with Akiva Goldsman in the writer’s chair, the upcoming movie is expected to be attached to its original roots and storyline.

And last but not least, Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan’s collaboration might bring a new appeal and vigor to the big screens.

I Am Legend Was Among Will Smith’s Greatest Successes

Will Smith in a still from I Am Legend || Warner Bros. Pictures

Will Smith has helmed several high-profile blockbuster hits. From Men in Black to Wild Wild West, the actor has constantly presented his versatility as an actor. But in this list of movies, Smith also adds I Am Legend as one of his proudest achievements. He shared this on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast. He added:

I’m obsessed with trying to put small character dramas into the middle of blockbuster packages. The most successful I’ve ever been with that concept is I Am Legend.

He further added that the movie could have easily been a stage play. And that a man with a dog was not the necessary element that made a blockbuster movie. However, Smith added, “That’s my biggest opening and my second biggest film” (the interview is from 2015).

You can rent I Am Legend on Apple TV.