Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire are ahead!
Ray Fisher got his start in Hollywood when Zack Snyder cast him to play Cyborg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and there were once plans for him to lead a Cyborg solo movie. While that project never materialized and Fisher ultimately cut ties with DC, he scored another opportunity to work with Snyder thanks to Rebel Moon, one of the latest releases on the Netflix movie schedule. Sadly though, Fisher’s character, Darrian Bloodaxe, met a tragic demise towards the end of the first half of this story, A Child of Fire, and writer Kurt Johnstad explained to CinemaBlend why this twist that left him “heartbroken” had to happen.
Darrian’s time with Kora and her allies proved to be short-lived, because after Charlie Hunnam’s Kai betrayed them and led them to a trap that had Atticus Noble and his Imperium forces waiting on the other side, the brother of Devra Bloodaxe sacrificed his life to destroy Noble’s ship. Johnstad, who worked on Rebel Moon’s script with Snyder and Shay Hatten, had this to say when I asked him why Darrian was the right pick to make the big sacrifice amongst the other recruits:
I was really heartbroken that that was the choice. One, because Ray is an exceptional actor and human being, and I loved being on set with him. I thought his performance was beautiful and I wanted more Darrian Bloodaxe. But I think there was this idea of… we know what we want Devra, his sister [played by] Cleopatra Coleman, to represent through the arc of, if we’re lucky enough to start making more of these, what she needs to do. And I think it’s just a bold sacrifice. Sometimes as much as you love characters, you have to let the characters even live their short lives. Because there have been people throughout history like Darrian Bloodaxe throughout history who have been sacrificing their lives for a cause or a revolution they believe in.
After an unspecified amount of time leading the insurgency against Regent Balisarius (which will be explored in the upcoming Rebel Moon comic book series), A Child of Fire saw Devra and Darrian going their separate ways, with the latter believing in Kora’s mission to protect Veldt, while the former felt it wasn’t a cause worthy of their time. As Kurt Johnstad has now revealed, it was necessary for Darrian to die not only to push Devra’s storyline further in Part Two — The Scargiver, but to also show how just because you like a character, that doesn’t mean they can avoid being casualties in a greater conflict, as has been the case countless times with historical figures.
But it’s not just Devra Bloodaxe who will be impacted by Darrian’s death in the second part of Rebel Moon, which will be released to Netflix subscribers on April 19, 2024. Johnstad also brought up E. Duffy’s Millius, one of the Bloodaxe rebellions soldiers who tagged along with Darrian when he joined up with Kora’s group to look after him. The writer continued:
Then it amplifies the other characters. It’ll amplify his sister’s character, it’ll amplify E. Duffy’s character of Millius. Those kind of people who are connected to him, it’ll only resonate through their characters moving forward into Movie 2 and etc. There’s an emotional currency that’s been spent, and that people are with you. Because a lot of people have said, ‘Why did he die?’ I was like, ‘Well, the thing is if you loved him that much, yeah, then great to go on the adventure with him, but it also shows that we live in a dangerous universe. Even the ones that you love the most can die.’ It’s a bold choice, that was really Zack.
Although Darrian Bloodaxe’s sacrifice helped Kora and her allies win this particular battle, the war is far from over. A Child of Fire ended with the surprising twist of Noble being resurrected and tasked by Regent Balisarius to eradicate the insurgency against him and to bring Kora to him alive so he can execute his adopted daughter personally. The Rebel Moon — Part Two trailer teased the new team of sci-fi heroes going to war, and while they seem vastly outmatched, hopefully one of their saving graces will come in the form of Devra. After all, when she learns what happened to her brother, surely she’ll want to hightail it to the farming colony with her fighters to unleash her fury on Noble and his army.
Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more coverage about Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire and updates about what we can expect from Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver. If you’re looking for more content to watch on the streaming service, browse through our selections of the best movies on Netflix and best shows on Netflix.
