The cinematic adaptation of Bloodshot had the misfortune of opening just as movie theaters worldwide shut down in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, a sequel is still in the cards.

Released on March 13, with many theater chains shutting down at the start of the following week, DMG Entertainment and Sony's adaptation of the popular Valiant Entertainment superhero was directly impacted by the move. Fortunately, the studios were able to pivot to a home video release within two weeks of Bloodshot's theatrical opening, moving to VOD platforms and streaming. This quick, adaptive shift proved to be a successful strategy for Valiant parent company DMG, with DMG Entertainment Creative Head and filmmaker Dan Mintz confirming plans for a sequel and expectations for Vin Diesel to reprise his role as the eponymous no-nonsense hero.

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"I think [Bloodshot] was very successful in that respect, a lot of people saw it and it did very well in the post-release rollout but you can't use the same evaluation process, pre-COVID, to this," Mintz told CBR. "[Are] Vin Diesel and all those people going to still continue? Yes, because it did so well and the response to it has been so well, it's just that the response has been in a non-transparent environment, as opposed to a transparent environment like box office numbers."

Intended to launch a shared cinematic universe featuring Valiant's extensive library of superheroes, Bloodshot starred Diesel as a soldier killed in action, reborn through advanced cybernetics with a whole host of superhuman abilities. Based on the comic book character created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin and Bob Layton in 1992, the film earned $33.48 million at the worldwide box office on a reported production budget of $45 million before theater chains were shuttered to prevent the pandemic's spread.

Despite the COVID-related setbacks with Bloodshot's theatrical run, it appears the Valiant Entertainment adaptation was a strong success on digital platforms, available for audiences to stream since March 24 while raising awareness about the character and the wider Valiant Universe. There are currently no details on which cast and crew members will return alongside Diesel or when a planned sequel is expected to premiere.

Directed by Dave Wilson with a script by Eric Heisserer and Jeff Wadlow, Bloodshot stars Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce and Toby Kebbell.

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