Borderlands Movie’s Missing Video Game Characters Make A Sequel Way More Likely

The Borderlands movie is missing some key characters from the franchise, highlighting that the film series is already counting on a sequel. While the film will include established characters, weapons, and locations from the video game franchise, Borderlands (2024) will craft its own unique story, allowing it to leave out some key figures. This means characters such as Brick and Mordecai are missing from the Borderlands movie, who are critical to the games’ story. Although they won’t feature in the first movie, it is hard to imagine they won’t appear at all in the cinematic Borderlands universe.

Given how many important characters are part of the Borderlands universe, cramming them all into one film would be impossible. Handsome Jack will likely become the main villain of the Borderlands cinematic universe, but he won’t feature in the first movie, already teasing that there could be more films to come. The first movie is already introducing fresh villains, perhaps in an attempt to familiarize a new audience with the main heroes before adding more important villains. However, with so many notable absentees, there will likely be future Borderlands movies involving the missing characters.

Borderlands Leaving Out Major Video Game Characters Sets Up A Sequel

Leaving out major video game characters indicates Borderlands is already setting up a sequel. The confirmed characters for the Borderlands movie include a mix of characters from the first two games. Borderlands 1 has four playable vault hunters, and while Lilith and Roland are part of the movie, Mordecai and Brick are not. Krieg is the only vault hunter from Borderlands 2 that will feature in the movie, despite not being part of the game’s launch. This combination of characters is confusing and while it suggests the film is going in its own direction, it can’t ignore the other key characters.

Therefore, the franchise is destined for a sequel. Gearbox’s founder has already indicated that a cinematic universe is the plan for Borderlands, as opposed to a single movie. In an interview with IGN, Gearbox founder, Randy Pitchford stated, “The Borderlands movie is the first of the Borderlands Cinematic Universe.” The number of characters in the franchise alone would justify future Borderlands films, not to mention all the potential enemies and stories the movies can adapt. While bringing in important characters for future films should work out for the franchise, there are potential problems that this strategy faces.

Borderlands Waiting To Introduce Brick & Mordecai Is A Risk

Having ideas for potential sequels is promising, but waiting to introduce Brick and Mordecai does pose some potential risks. The duo are a massive part of Borderlands‘ lore, but they also worked best in earlier games. As the story progressed, they became less critical to the overall plot, and introducing them later may mean they are already overshadowed by the Borderlands movie’s bigger personalities, like Tiny Tina and Claptrap. Not having them be there from the start of Borderlands‘ cinematic universe does run the risk of the characters not being as meaningful in the movies compared to the games.

This all relies on Borderlands actually getting a sequel. While characters like Tiny Tina could carry a Borderlands spinoff movie, these future ideas all rely on the first one being successful. The video game franchise is massive, and its memorable universe should translate onto the big screen, but this isn’t guaranteed. There have been plenty of video game movies that have flopped in the past, and if Borderlands fails, a sequel seems unlikely. This would leave fans disappointed that characters like Mordecai and Brick never got a chance in the cinematic franchise, making their absence a big risk.

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How Likely A Borderlands Movie Sequel Is

A Borderlands sequel seems likely, but there are some potential obstacles that could prevent it. The film’s $100 million budget isn’t unreasonably high, but it still relies on achieving a strong box office to make the project financially viable. While profit is one of the biggest indicators of how likely a sequel is, fan reception is also important. With Borderlands‘ big fan base, the movie may attract a big audience, but if the quality is lacking, they won’t return for a sequel. There have already been some concerns regarding the casting decisions, with plenty of choices proving divisive among fans.

Borderlands also had a long production process, and it was far from smooth. Rumors of behind-the-scenes drama emerged regarding the Borderlands movie, suggesting that making a sequel would be anything but easy. Given how long Borderlands has taken to create and the problems it has faced, preparing for sequels may be premature. There is a lot of franchise potential based on the success and longevity of the video game series, but a cinematic universe relies on the first movie being good. If the Borderlands movie performs well, a sequel is bound to happen, but it must overcome these obstacles first.

Source: IGN

Borderlands

Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon’s missing daughter. Together with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenaged demolitions expert, a wise-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl – all while learning to deal with each other’s unyielding quirks.

Director

Eli Roth

Release Date

August 9, 2024

Studio(s)

Arad Productions , Picturestart

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Eli Roth , Joe Crombie