If you’re a fan of superhero films, or just someone that follows the news about the biggest films of all time, you know that the Russo Brothers have been working the past decade or so with Marvel Studios as the filmmakers helped the company develop the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the course of numerous films. And it’s clear, now, that the Russos learned a big lesson from their time with Marvel—cinematic universes are popular! This is a lesson that they’re apparently going to bring to the world of “Extraction,” the recent Netflix hit action film they produced.
Speaking at a CCXP panel moderated by Collider, Joe Russo spoke about the future of the “Extraction” film franchise. Previously, it was reported by Netflix that “Extraction” was the biggest film of all time for the streaming service when it was released earlier this year. That almost immediately resulted in the development of a sequel, with star Chris Hemsworth and director Sam Hargrave both reportedly returning. But, silly film fans, you didn’t really think the plan was just for one measly sequel, right?
“I’m still not gonna commit because I think it’s more exciting to surprise people, but I will say this: we are working at building out a universe of films that could potentially explore some of the other characters from the first movie and some new characters, and see more historical interaction between the characters,” said Russo. “So if you’re interested in David Harbour’s character, you just may get to see him in a future ‘Extraction’ movie.”
If you saw “Extraction,” you know that Harbour played a former friend of Hemsworth’s badass character and the two eventually fought in one of the many, many action scenes in the film. His backstory is hinted at, but never fully fleshed out. So, naturally, SPINOFF TIME!
“We’re trying to find more interesting ways to tell these stories and cross-pollinate them,” Joe Russo continued. “We’re big fans of just forging new paths in narrative. Can we go backwards and forwards at the same time? Can things that happened in the past affect the movies in the present? What are new ways to tell those stories? And can we see different points of view? Every antagonist is the protagonist in their own story, so can we see their point of view? How do they perceive the world? What makes them empathetic? I think what makes that a compelling element to the ‘Extraction’ universe is it is a global franchise telling global stories, and we’d like to diversify the point of view in those movies.”
Look, it may seem like I’m poking fun at the idea of the Russos trying to turn everything into a cinematic universe. And there’s no denying that the idea of yet another cinematic universe idea based on one hit film is tiresome. But that said, “Extraction” is a massive hit for Netflix and the studio loves to throw money at things that will get people to sign up. And honestly, the film is a lot of fun and a sequel is a welcome idea. Let’s just not put the cart in front of the horse, so to speak, okay?