Will Smith Confirms Michael B. Jordan’s Role in I Am Legend 2—and It’s Not What Fans Expected
After years of speculation, we finally know who Michael B. Jordan will play in I Am Legend 2—and no, he’s not Will Smith’s son or a younger version of his character.
In a recent appearance on Drink Champs, Will Smith dropped a major detail about the long-awaited sequel to the 2007 post-apocalyptic hit. Smith, who starred as Dr. Robert Neville in the original, revealed that Jordan’s character will lead a survivor settlement in Connecticut—and their two characters are strangers, not family.
“Michael B. Jordan’s character currently is the head of a new settlement… He’s not my son,” Smith explained.
From Prequel to Alternate Timeline Sequel
Initially, plans for I Am Legend 2 involved a prequel, possibly exploring the early days of the virus that wiped out most of humanity and transformed survivors into Darkseekers. But screenwriter Akiva Goldsman pitched a more creative angle: a sequel that follows the film’s alternate ending, not the theatrical one.
In the alternate ending (featured in the DVD release), Neville survives and realizes the Darkseekers are not mindless monsters, but intelligent beings acting out of grief and protection. This more hopeful conclusion now serves as the launching pad for the next chapter.
Two Survivors, Two Worlds
Jordan’s character leads a community in Connecticut, while Smith’s Neville, having barely survived isolation in New York, now enters a post-apocalyptic world that’s trying to rebuild. This creates a dynamic contrast: one man represents solitude and discovery, the other leadership and survival within a group.
While plot specifics are still under wraps, this setup hints at potential tension between the two—especially if they clash over how to handle the Darkseekers, whom Neville now sees in a different light.
Unbiased Opinion: A Promising Direction—If It Balances Action with Insight
Shifting the sequel’s foundation to the alternate ending is a smart move. It respects fans who appreciated the emotional nuance of Neville’s moral awakening, and it opens the door to a deeper story.
With Michael B. Jordan in a leadership role, the film has a chance to explore new ethical dilemmas, societal rebuilding, and power struggles. But to succeed, I Am Legend 2 will need to balance the emotional depth of the original with the action and suspense that made it a blockbuster.
Smith and Jordan together promise star power, but it’s the philosophical clash between survival and humanity that could make this sequel a worthy successor—or just another big-budget follow-up that misses the soul of the original.
