Summary
- Unplanned sequels often ruin characters by contradicting their established arcs.
- Continuity issues in sequels can anger fans when new writers prioritize their vision over established character development.
- Undesired sequels and reboots risk undoing years of character development and loyal fan investment.
Some character development is completely ruined by mishandled movie sequels. Essentially, movie sequels have ruined characters when they contradict, repeat, or otherwise completely ignore a character’s arc from previous installments. Movie sequels that were not planned when the previous movie was in production are tricky, and it is difficult to write a continuation of a character arc that feels organic under these circumstances. If working against character development is inevitable, it’s probably because the movie sequel is completely unnecessary.
Unwanted upcoming movie sequels and reboots run the risk of undoing years of development for beloved characters. Oftentimes, sequels that ignore character development also create continuity issues, angering the fandom even more. This demonstrates a dangerous mindset where a new writer or director respects their own vision more than what the franchise is to the fans, which almost always leads to movies that don’t make sense in the broader context of the story.
Related 9 Movie Sequels That Caused Massive Continuity Problems With The Original Films
Most big Hollywood franchises have had continuity errors of varying degrees, with a single entry in the series often causing the confusion.
10 Han Solo (Harrison Ford)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Close
Han’s arc in the original trilogy shows him learning to care about others (besides himself and Chewie) and a cause bigger than himself. Rather than leaving to pay his debts and continue being a smuggler, he returns to help destroy the Death Star and continue to help the Rebellion. Han never completely loses his roguish, scoundrel charm, which is fine as it is what makes him such a charismatic character. However, his character development presumably would have continued off-screen as he raised a son with Leia.
Where Star Wars: The Force Awakens picks up, it seems like during the 20 or so years Han spent with Leia, he didn’t change at all. He decided to go back to self-serving smuggling despite moving away from this in his original arc. He sort of explains himself, saying he went back to it as a coping mechanism after losing his son. However, the fact that Han and Leia are prepared to fight for Ben then makes his retrograde development during the time he did nothing even worse.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens PG-13ActionAdventureFantasy Sci-Fi Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Set 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens teams new heroes Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), who is now a General in the Rebel Alliance. Together they try to track down Luke Skywalker while battling the First Order, led by the villainous Kylo Ren. The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars film to be produced by Disney and was directed by JJ Abrams.
Director J.J. Abrams Release Date December 17, 2015 Writers Lawrence Kasdan , J.J. Abrams , Michael Arndt Cast Daisy Ridley , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Harrison Ford , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Adam Driver , Andy Serkis , Lupita Nyong’o , Max Von Sydow , Peter Mayhew , Simon Pegg Runtime 136 Minutes
9 Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot)
Fast X (2023)
Close
In a matter of seconds, Fast X ruined or at least undermined one of the franchise’s best characters. Gisele is first introduced as a level-headed, cool criminal who doesn’t have any reason to mess up her current job by helping the protagonists, making it a pleasant surprise when she does, even though Dom has made it clear nothing is going to happen between them. One rescue from Dom and a few friendly interactions establish Gisele as a helpful character without the need for an overblown arc, and she is invited back by Dom’s family for the next heist.
Gisele and Han then have their romantic arc, which showcases even more of Gisele’s caring side when people still might have assumed she was only in it for the money. This culminates in Gisele allegedly sacrificing herself to save Han in Fast & Furious 6. However, Gal Gadot’s abrupt return in Fast X then raises too many questions about why she didn’t go back to Han and what she is doing with Cipher. The next movie will probably offer some contrived explanation, but it will be hard to justify that Gisele let Han believe she was dead.
Fast X PG-13CrimeMysteryThrillerRacing Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Vin Diesel and the family return for the tenth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise in Fast X. Charlize Theron returns as Cipher joining forces with Dante Reyes, a former foe of the Fast Family seeking revenge for the death of his father Hernan Reyes, after the events of Fast Five. Fast X is part one of a two-part conclusion to the franchise.
Director Louis Leterrier Release Date May 19, 2023 Writers Justin Lin , Dan Mazeau , Gary Scott Thompson Cast Vin Diesel , Michelle Rodriguez , Jason Statham , Jordana Brewster , Tyrese Gibson , Ludacris , Nathalie Emmanuel , Charlize Theron Runtime 141 Minutes
8 Woody & Buzz (Tom Hanks & Tim Allen)
Toy Story (2019)
Close
Woody’s arc throughout the Toy Story movies is primarily concerned with accepting change. This leads to the heartrending moment where he realizes that he has done all he can for Andy, and it is okay to let go. Toy Story 4 almost immediately reverses this by showing how Woody is still hung up on Andy, as he had more purpose as Andy’s toy. It leads to another revelation that he doesn’t have to be a specific child’s toy, but still undermines the moment of him waving goodbye to Andy from Bonnie’s porch, which wasn’t the end after all.
Woody and Buzz at least get a profound goodbye, but now Toy Story 5 is likely to ruin that as well.
Meanwhile, Buzz first realizes that while he is a toy, he can still be an important leader in Toy Story; he goes on to call Woody out for betraying his own ideals in Toy Story 2 and argues for keeping the group together in Toy Story 3. Buzz still does some “space ranger” type things, making him the resident strategist. Toy Story 4 then makes Buzz goofy and easily confused, destroying the best aspect of his personality. Woody and Buzz at least get a profound goodbye, but now Toy Story 5 is likely to ruin that as well.
Toy Story 4 GComedyAnimationAdventure Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Josh Cooley directed the fourth installment in the Toy Story series and the direct sequel to 2010’s Toy Story 3. Once again starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Annie Potts, 2019’s Toy Story 4 sees Woody struggling to adapt to his new life as one of Bonnie’s toys, as Andy heads off to college.
Director Josh Cooley Release Date June 21, 2019 Writers Stephany Folsom , Andrew Stanton Cast Patricia Arquette , Tim Allen , Kristen Schaal , Estelle Harris , Jodi Benson , Tony Hale , Blake Clark , Jeff Pidgeon , Joan Cusack , Laurie Metcalf , Tom Hanks , Annie Potts , Jeff Garlin , Bonnie Hunt , Wallace Shawn Runtime 100 Minutes
7 Jean Grey (Sophie Turner)
Dark Phoenix (2019)
Close
The Dark Phoenix storyline has been done too many times, and it always ends with Jean losing control of her mind to the villainous Phoenix and sacrificing herself to end the carnage in a moment of lucidity. Despite its blatant flaws as a movie, X-Men: Apocalypse actually seems like it is setting out to subvert this when Jean saves the day with a demonstration of exactly how powerful she is. For a brief moment, it looked like Fox’s X-Men franchise was going to explore a positive version of what Jean could become with this power.
Then, in Dark Phoenix, the same storyline of X-Men: The Last Stand plays out. Jean’s growing power gets the better of her, and she kills a close friend; then she sacrifices herself to save the rest of the X-Men. The X-Men: First Class era features an interesting version of Jean Grey, who is reserved but gradually comes into her power. Her arc happens against the backdrop of an average movie, but it has potential. Dark Phoenix then wastes an actress like Sophie Turner on the same story.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix PG-13Adventure Sci-FiAction Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
In this continuation of the rebooted X-Men movie series, Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now, the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world.
Director Simon Kinberg Release Date June 7, 2019 Writers Simon Kinberg Cast Jennifer Lawrence , Tye Sheridan , Michael Fassbender , Jessica Chastain , Alexandra Shipp , Nicholas Hoult , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Evan Peters , James McAvoy , Sophie Turner Runtime 113 Minutes
6 John Connor (Jason Clarke)
Terminator Genysis (2015)
Close
John actually has a decent character arc from Terminator 2: Judgment Day to Terminator Salvation. While the franchise’s third and fourth movies do not showcase its best writing, fractured moments of John’s character development that make a lot of sense come through. These movies showcase things like John being unsure about his allegedly predetermined destiny and how he makes decisions during the war with the knowledge of the future his mother has passed on to him. Then Terminator Genysis ignores everything that John’s character used to be and completely disrupts the franchise.
John becomes the villain corrupted by an external force whose death has absolutely no emotional impact on the people who would be his parents. The timeline is such a mess that it’s not clear which parts of his arc ever happened; even if they did, he’s only going to become an easily-deposed threat. Despite previously criticized sequels, the Terminator franchise can always make things worse for itself.
Terminator Genisys PG-13 Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Terminator: Genysis reboots James Cameron’s Terminator franchise by rewriting the events of the original movie. This time, Emilia Clarke’s Sarah Connor already knows why Jai Courtney’s Kyle Reese has been sent back in time, and an older T-800, once again played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, helps them in their quest to prevent an AI uprising.
Director Alan Taylor Release Date July 1, 2015 Writers Laeta Kalogridis , Patrick Lussier Cast Emilia Clarke , Jai Courtney , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Jason Clarke Runtime 2h 6m
Related 8 Movie Franchises That Deserved A Better Legacy
Often the legacy of a great movie franchise can be tarnished over the years, with substandard sequels diminishing the overall impact of the series.
5 Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson)
Incredibles 2 (2018)
Close
The Incredibles depicts Bob Parr a.k.a. Mr. Incredible living with the consequences of lying to his family in order to be a superhero again. In the end, he has a greater appreciation for his wife and children, understanding that the dream he was chasing isn’t as important. The audience would think that Bob would not make the same mistake twice — which he technically doesn’t — but Incredibles 2 doesn’t demonstrate the same level of sophisticated writing to uphold his character development.
Admittedly, Bob doesn’t go off and do more hero work, leaving the kids with a babysitter when Helen believes she can work because he is at home with them. However, he doesn’t tell her that Jack-Jack has started manifesting powers because he wants her to restore the superheroes’ reputation so he can be a superhero again. Bob’s actions in the second movie don’t have the same disastrous results, but he is still completely focused on returning to hero work and gets into some shenanigans trying to make this happen.
The Incredibles 2 PGAdventureActionAnimation
The sequel to Pixar’s The Incredibles, Incredibles 2 follows the Parr family as they continue to fight crime as Supers. In a world that has only recently rediscovered its need for superpowered heroes, building trust is key. However, when Elastigirl uncovers a villainous plot to discredit the Super community, the family investigates, putting the Parrs in more danger than ever before.
Director Brad Bird Release Date June 15, 2018 Writers Brad Bird Cast Sarah Vowell , Samuel L. Jackson , Holly Hunter , Craig T. Nelson , John Ratzenberger , Catherine Keener , Huck Milner , Bob Odenkirk Runtime 126 Minutes
4 Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes)
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader (2010)
Close
Edmund’s characterization as reliable and focused in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is largely the byproduct of Peter and Caspian taking up most of the screen time. However, it can also be interpreted as Edmund undergoing perfect character growth. He made a mistake out of pride, and he never makes that mistake again. He is an unwavering pillar in the Narnians’ campaign. It would even make sense for Edmund to be haunted by the White Witch, but the movie subverts this; Peter is tempted by her, but Edmund won’t be tricked again and takes her out immediately.
With Peter no longer a part of the story in The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, Edmund essentially inherits his arc.
With Peter no longer a part of the story in The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, Edmund essentially inherits his arc. He is restless in the real world, clashes with Caspian over who is in charge, and becomes the target of the White Witch’s ghost. Edmund being completely content with being the second-in-command works in Prince Caspian; he is at his best when his storyline is not driven by easily resolved drama, allowing him the chance to show off how far he has come.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader pgAdventureFantasy Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Based on C.S. Lewis’s popular book series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third film in the trilogy and takes place three years after the prior film and follows two siblings joined by the new king of Narnia, Caspian, as they try to save their world from all-encompassing darkness. The group will travel the seas to save seven missing lords to prepare for the coming battle.
Director Michael Apted Release Date December 9, 2010 Writers Michael Apted Cast Ben Barnes , Georgie Henley Runtime 115minutes
3 Neo & Trinity (Keanu Reeves & Carrie-Anne Moss)
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Close
The Matrix shows that breaking free of the Matrix is not something accomplished easily; it is more than simply unplugging a person, and they must be ready for it. Trinity has already gone through this experience at the start of the franchise, while Neo does the same in the first movie. The Matrix Resurrections then puts them right back into the Matrix, where they exist submissively for decades. The legacy sequel retreads some old ground with Neo and Trinity rediscovering life outside the system and each other.
Meanwhile, their powers are all over the place. There is a humorous moment where Neo attempts to fly, underscoring that he is nowhere near as powerful as he once was. If Trinity is the same martial arts and computer master, she doesn’t have as many chances to show it, but swiftly gains some other powers. Neo and Trinity as they are seen in this movie just aren’t as honed as they are in the original trilogy, showcasing some backtracking in their arcs.
The Matrix Resurrections rActionSci-Fi Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
Set sixty years after The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie that sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne moss nearly twenty years after the release of the previous film. Neo has become a game developer who struggles to grasp reality, and his concerns are validated when a new visage of Morpheus arrives to free him from his prison – a newly created Matrix. Learning that Trinity is alive and being held prisoner, Neo will join a new rebel force to save her and confront a new, dangerous foe known as the Analyst.
Director Lana Wachowski Release Date December 22, 2021 Writers Lana Wachowski , David Mitchell , Aleksandar Hemon , Lilly Wachowski Cast Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Jonathan Groff , Jessica Henwick , Neil Patrick Harris , Christina Ricci , Priyanka Chopra Jonas Runtime 148 Minutes
2 Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox)
Scream VI (2023)
Close
Gale has proven herself to be scheming and selfish, crossing a lot of boundaries to find a good story and write her next bestseller. Despite this, she is one of the main characters and Sydney’s longstanding ally in the Scream movies. It would actually be more logical if Gale became less inclined to make a profit off of Ghostface’s activities over time; the biggest moment that undoes any character development she has comes in the sixth Scream movie.
The most personal trauma for Gale happens in this movie when her ex-husband and close friend Dewey Riley becomes Ghostface’s latest victim. This time it is different for Gale, which is why her promise not to write another book about it all makes sense. This promise ends swiftly when she writes another book in the next movie that gives rise to the conspiracy theory that Sam is the killer. No matter how many times Scream fans think Gale might have changed, she always reverts to her old ways for the sake of more drama.
Scream 6 RHorrorThriller
Scream 6 is a horror-slasher film that brings the terror of the iconic Ghostface to the streets of New York City. The survivors of the 2022 fifth Scream entry have moved to one of the biggest cities in the world – but not even a population of eight million will stop a mysterious new assailant from trying to fulfill the Ghostface legacy.
Director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin , Tyler Gillett Release Date March 10, 2023 Writers James Vanderbilt , Guy Busick Cast Melissa Barrera , Courteney Cox , Jasmin Savoy Brown , Mason Gooding , Jenna Ortega , Hayden Panettiere Runtime 122 Minutes
Related 10 TV Characters Whose Arcs Were Ruined, According To Reddit
There’s nothing as frustrating as a good character being destroyed by a terrible arc, and these Redditors point out the most egregious examples.
1 Luke Skywalker
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Close
Luke has a standard arc in the original trilogy which shows him going from an unsure protagonist yearning for adventure to a skilled warrior. He comes into his own as he masters the ways of the Jedi and is ready to take on his next challenge. The presumption for a long time was that Luke would go on to train the next generation of Jedi, but Star Wars: The Last Jedi disappoints with the reveal of how quickly Luke gave up on this dream.
Fans probably imagined Luke becoming a mentor like Obi-Wan: wise and relatively positive. This makes sense given Luke’s consistently hopeful outlook in the original trilogy. What Luke becomes instead is a jaded mentor who has to be pulled back into the action by the new protagonist after years of letting the First Order destroy the galaxy. With a character as iconic as Luke Skywalker, the fallout of his character arc being undone hurt more than most other examples.
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi PG-13 Sci-FiActionFantasyAdventure Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
*Availability in US
In the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, General Leia Organa leads the Resistance forces against the First Order. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker struggles to come to terms with his past failures, while Rey urges him to train her in the Force and join the resistance. Culminating in a massive battle between the two armies, The Last Jedi raises the stakes of this intergalactic war, and sees the final fight of one beloved character.
Director Rian Johnson Release Date December 15, 2017 Writers Rian Johnson Cast Daisy Ridley , Oscar Isaac , Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , John Boyega , Adam Driver , Andy Serkis , Lupita Nyong’o , Anthony Daniels , Gwendoline Christie , Kelly Marie Tran , Laura Dern Runtime 152 Minutes