Josh Brolin knows his way around a sequel. Following the premieres of movies like Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2, he has shown his ability to join existing franchises and break new ground on old territory. However, with the release of Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Brolin was particularly excited about the fact that Stefano Sollima's sequel is so different compared to the film that preceded it. I asked Brolin about this in a recent interview, and he addressed the intriguing element of new challenges and explained:
I like the fact that this movie doesn't carbon copy the first movie. That's always a mistake. Even though the movie does well, and people go, 'Just do the same thing again, and then we'll make money! And We'll do this!' You go, 'No! Let's take it further. Let's find new challenges and all of that.' So, I look forward to the new challenge.
There are plenty of sequels that see success by replicating the formula of the original. Even wildly successful sequels like Terminator 2: Judgement Day and 22 Jump Street largely built themselves on the narrative framework of their predecessors. However, with Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Josh Brolin specifically liked the fact that writer Taylor Sheridan and director Stefano Sollima did something completely different than the first Sicario and built something that felt more like a new story than a simple cash grab that capitalized on the beats that worked back in 2015.
One of the critical ways in which Sicario: Day of the Soldado separates itself from the film that preceded it is the fact that it has shifted focus and re-centered itself with new heroes. In the original Sicario, Josh Brolin's Matt Graver and Benicio del Toro's Alejandro were enigmas that the audience could never quite figure out. By contrast, Day of the Soldado puts them front and center, removing Emily Blunt's Kate Macer from the equation, while also leaving the door open for her to potentially return in a third movie. It's a bold choice when we consider the fact that Sicario was so rooted in Kate's perspective, but the decision seems to have paid off.
Don't just take our word for it. Check out a clip from our interview with Josh Brolin, below, to hear everything that he had to say about his excitement for Sicario: Day of the Soldado!
As we mentioned earlier, Sicario: Day of the Soldado refocuses the Sicario series on Matt and Alejandro. On a new mission, this time with even fewer moral restrictions, the duo goes on a journey south of the border to begin a war with one of Mexico's biggest drug cartels. However, the deadly team eventually finds itself at odds when faced with the order to murder a young girl named Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), a cartel boss' daughter who becomes a loose end that the United States government wants to be tied off.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado debuts in theaters this weekend on June 29. Catch the follow-up to Denis Villeneuve's Sicario when it premieres and check out our review of the film and our reaction roundup to see what the critical community thinks of it!
