When it was announced back in 2018 that Michael B. Jordan was joining the world of big screen Tom Clancy adaptations, the idea wasn’t that the star would make only a single film. Instead, the original deal had two titles lined up: Without Remorse would introduce his character, John Clark, née Kelly, to the cinematic canon, and then that blockbuster would be followed by a Rainbow Six movie.
So now that Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse is about to arrive on Amazon Prime Video, does that mean that Rainbow Six is on the way? That question was very much on my mind when I recently had the chance to cover the film’s virtual press day, and what I learned is that while there is definitely hunger for it from the stars, nothing is certain at this point in time.
When I spoke with Michael B. Jordan, I asked him not only about the potential future for Rainbow Six – which is teased in the movie with a post-credits scene – but also the possibility of a crossover with John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan streaming series now that both titles have homes on Amazon. Without saying too much, Jordan confirmed that I was asking the right questions, and that he has hopes for the future, but that nothing is official yet. Said the actor,
I mean, I think you're thinking in the right direction. I haven't necessarily had those conversations just yet. I think we're really just working on trying to get this movie out, you know, this April 30th release we're really, really excited about it. And hopefully in the future, you know? Yeah, Rainbow Six is something to look forward to. But the when, the where, the how, and the who is something that has yet to be determined, but I'm excited about the potential, you know?
Tom Clancy published Rainbow Six in 1998 as his second novel centering on John Clark, and it follows the hero as he organizes a multinational counter-terrorism division within the Central Intelligence Agency called Rainbow. The book (which also inspired a popular series of video games) centers on the attempt to stop a bioweapon attack that would see the entire world infected by a deadly virus – though it’s unclear exactly how close a movie adaptation would stick to the source material, especially given that Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse greatly deviates from the text with which it shares a name.
One of the notable differences between the new movie and the author’s original work is the introduction of Karen Greer, a new character played by Jodie Turner-Smith who is featured as a close confidant of John Kelly’s. The end of the film definitely sets up the possibility for Karen to potentially return in a Rainbow Six sequel, and while she also said that there is nothing on the books right now, her enthusiasm was clear:
I think the Tom Clancy universe is so amazing and each novel lends itself to many productions that could come out of it and while still standing on their own, as I think this film does. And you know, obviously anything is possible.
Surely the popularity of Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse is going to be a major factor in deciding whether or not a sequel gets the green light and moves forward – and opening weekend statistics speak loudly. As such, you can be a part of the audience that potentially makes the difference between the follow-up happening and not happening. The new action film, which co-stars Jamie Bell, Guy Pearce, Colman Domingo, and Lauren London alongside Michael B. Jordan and Jodie Turner-Smith, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, so check it out this weekend!
