Not long to go until the release of Sony's long-awaited Men in Black: International, the fourth movie (fourquel?) in the fantasy-sci-fi series.
The film heads a run of beloved '90s film franchise reboots in development and stars Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth in place of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the new galaxy defenders.
Although we're far from any news of a follow-up movie, cinematic universes are all the rage in Hollywood so we can bet good money on it happening at some point down the line.
While we wait for MIB: International to hit the theatres, we're putting our speculative caps on to predict how a sequel to the fourquel might look…
Men in Black: International 2 release date – When’s it out?
Without confirmation, there can't be a release date – but we can make an educated guess.
Production of MIB: International was first announced in February 2018, followed by filming between July and October of the same year. It was set to drop in theatres on May 17, 2019, before being pushed to June 14.
If a sequel is confirmed in February of next year, then we're likely looking at a 2021 release. Keep an eye on this page as we'll keep you updated if and when this changes.
Men in Black: International 2 plot – What’s it about?
Although Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black 3 wrapped up the trilogy with a satisfying conclusion to Agent J and K's alien-filled adventures, it was obvious Hollywood wasn't going to leave it on the shelf for too long.
There's a whole universe to explore, with F Gary Gray's MIB: International set to restart events and get the ball rolling for a whole new series of films about the secret organisation keeping the planet safe from aliens.
Early reviews suggest Thompson and Hemsworth are the ideal pair to take the reins as Agent M and H respectively (even if they are let down by a weak story). Their on-screen chemistry shines through as Valkyrie and Thor in the MCU, after all.
In this cinematic realm, the pair travel to London to tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organisation.
The question is, where would the sequel take them from there? Judging by the source material, we can expect it to centre around the two characters once more. It will likely continue as a soft reboot of the first three movies in the franchise with more sci-fi violence, CGI extraterrestrials and quippy one-liners.
When it comes to differences, aesthetics and location play a major role in setting MIB: International apart from its predecessors – the clue is in the name.
Hemsworth says he sees the fourth instalment as "a sort of reinvention, an opening up of the original franchise that aesthetically is a lot different".
"Like the geography of this one, we're not just in New York – we're in Istanbul, Italy, London," he explained.
Not only are we introduced to numerous countries, but the cast are set to travel through eras as well.
"Whereas the original look of Men in Black was sort of set in the 1960s," production designer Charles Wood said, "we're actually taking it back in time and saying that International exists in many cities around the world, and maybe even started a century ago."
Whether the sequel takes a similar route is yet to be seen, but if it enjoys box-office success you can bank on the producers once again travelling off-road from the originals, still pumping it with nostalgic ties but adding a fun new spin to offer audiences something new.
Men in Black: International 2 – Will Smith’s return?
With Thompson and Hemsworth stealing the show as the alien-fighting duo, it's safe to assume they'd return should Men in Black: International 2 get the green light.
As for the OG agent duo, producers Laurie MacDonald and Walter Parkes explained to Variety why Smith and Lee weren't in the new film – although they did reveal it contains homages to the actors in a very specific scene.
"When we finished the third, we did all talk about the fact that we didn't feel there was another film," said McDonald.
"We all talked about it feeling very complete, that somehow because the third film dealt with the mystery of Will's father and that it felt emotionally complete and all of us collectively didn't think that we'd go on with that and we didn't even begin developing this one for a couple years because we weren't sure we would."
McDonald went on to explain that while they initially thought about cameos for the actors, it just wasn’t the time or place. "It was brought up by a couple of people on the outside, but it felt they are so, both loom so large it just didn't feel right," she said.
"If you look closely in the background of several shots of Liam Neeson's office you might see a little homage to them," Parkes added.
That explains why the original agent duo won't be showing their faces in the new film, although that's not to say they might not show up in the next.
Okay, so no offence to Jones, but the dude's well into his 70s now – and if he wasn't up for the fourth film, it's even less likely he'd be up for reprising his role as Kay for a fifth outing.
But as for Smith, there's no reason why he wouldn't come back, even just for a momentary cameo.
It would certainly please the crowds, but whether or not it would make sense when his character's arc was wrapped up so perfectly in Men in Black 3 is a bridge the producers will have to cross if a sequel is confirmed.
Men in Black: International 2 trailer – when can I watch it?
Not yet, at any rate. Let's wait for the next instalment in the franchise to be announced before we start thinking about trailers. Though when it arrives, you can be sure to read about it here.
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