Since Hancock was a modest hit with a worldwide gross of $629.4 million and the crew was keen to work together again, many wondered whether there would be a sequel lined up. Though as time went on, both its stars and its creative team saw their names attached to other projects, and despite many promises about its continuation, Hancock 2 was eventually forgotten.
It was 2008, and Hancock opened just two months before Iron Man launched what would become cinema's biggest superhero franchise. Hancock, on the other hand, was an original story that lacked the fanbase that Marvel could bring to theaters. The film focuses on John Hancock, played by Will Smith, a self-absorbed superman-type hero who arrogantly disdains others and plunges himself into substance abuse. Still, he has the potential for good, and a PR named Ray (Jason Bateman) is convinced that together, they can turn his image around. At least until Hancock's past comes back to haunt him and the audience discovers that his ex-wife Mary (Charlize Theron) is also a super-powerful being.
Will There Be a Hancock 2?
Smith's take on a darker superhero did well enough to warrant a continuation, but many factors might have worked against it. A sequel could have continued exploring Smith and Theron's immortal god-like characters as they have to manage their superpowers while trying to find other immortal beings scattered around the world. Director Peter Berg teased exactly that, saying, "There might be another god out there." Given their popularity during the 2000s, Smith and Theron could have easily drawn in a considerable number of viewers for a sequel film.
However, Hancock 2 would have to battle the MCU movies and the conflicting schedules of everyone involved. By September 2009, Smith and Theron were set to come back, and so was Berg. The script was being developed by Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara. But a year later, both writers were working on The Walking Dead TV series while Berg was busy making Battleship. Plus, Smith was taking some time to focus on his family, and everyone seemed to be involved in something else.
Why a Hancock Sequel Would Never Work
By then, Berg was quite sure Hancock 2 wouldn't move forward anytime soon. "There are so many cooks in that particular kitchen that are so busy," he said in one of his latest interviews about the possible sequel. "To get us all in the same room where we can talk and then agree on anything? You'll never meet a group of people who will have a harder time agreeing on anything." Despite this, he was still hopeful that it might happen sometime in the future. Even Charlize Theron admitted she'd "do it in a heartbeat." She teased, "we'll be superheroes with our walkers, you know."
But even if Hancock 2 suddenly got greenlit and a release date, it might have to find other protagonists. Theron has now joined the MCU as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and will surely be busy with that for a while. Smith's Oscar behavior resulted in most of his future projects being canceled and his departure from the Academy for a few years. But if Hancock taught us anything, it's that it's always possible for anyone to redeem himself from a troubled past.