From their first sequel, Toy Story 2, to the more recent Monsters University and the masterpiece Toy Story 3, Pixar has proven that, with the right story, sequels can be thoroughly well-made films (we won’t get into Cars 2 right now). During the period from 2010 to 2013, Pixar released three sequels. However, there is a shift in focus toward original titles beginning in 2015 with The Good Dinosaur. It seems like all of Pixar’s fan favorites have gotten, or will receive, at least one sequel. But there’s one film that seems to be missing from that slate: The Incredibles.
The Incredibles consistently tops fan-favorite lists. Ask Pixar fans what movie needs a sequel, and this movie is often the requested title. Brad Bird, director of the first film, wants a sequel. Samuel L. Jackson, voice of Frozone, also wants a sequel. However, one look into the future at Pixar’s lineup through the next few years shows no signs of an Incredibles sequel. So, this begs the question: if other Pixar classics can inspire follow-up films that successfully build on their source material, why hasn’t a sequel to this film been made? The answer is “story.” Until the creative brains at Pixar come up with a story that they believe audiences will enjoy, a sequel won’t happen any time soon.
Now, with all of that exposition out of the way, let’s really dig into the topic at hand — what could Pixar do to make an incredible sequel to The Incredibles? Put on your super suit, and let’s brainstorm some sequel scenarios!
Continue Where The Last Film Left Off
The most obvious (and perhaps easiest) choice for a sequel would be to do as most sequels do and build upon the foundation that the first film laid down. This means that the sequel’s villain would probably be The Underminer (voice of John Ratzenberger) and would revolve around the Parr family somehow working together to bring down the bad guy. The story might be similar to the 2005 video game, The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, in which a machine called the “Manomizer” will destroy Earth with extreme pollution. The good: the story could potentially revolve mainly around Mr. Incredible and Frozone — I always wanted to see more of this character, and more screen time for him would always be welcome. The bad: this route would be lazy and unlike Pixar. Obviously, this isn’t the storyline Pixar is considering, otherwise the film probably would have been released alongside the video game.
In a different move, Pixar could create an entirely new story, ignoring the video game’s premise but also finding a way to include The Underminer. Wouldn’t it be cool if The Underminer somehow posed a threat to the earth’s inner core, and at any moment the world could be consumed by fire and ash? …Okay, maybe not cool if it actually happened, but it sure would make for a compelling film. Despite this, The Underminer might not even be included (or mentioned) in a potential sequel. If the filmmakers of the first movie had a story in mind when they wrote the last scene, it’s probably in the trash at this point. The long interval between the first film and a sequel (if one is ever made) probably indicates that Pixar is looking to do something different and unexpected, which leaves us with another possible sequel premise:
A Prequel Focusing on Mr. Incredible, Frozone, and Elastigirl
One thing I loved about the first film is the back story. I want to see what the world was like with the “Supers” before they were forced to go into hiding. All those newspaper pages, posters, and relics Mr. Incredible had in his office made me badly want to see what could be done if a movie was made about that time period. Of course, one thing that was so special about the first film was the dysfunctional family element, and that would be lost in a prequel. However, the chemistry between
Bob and Helen (which we got a glimpse of at the beginning of the first film) is something I would like to see expanded upon. If Lucius (Frozone) could be worked into the story, it would be a prime opportunity for a more expanded-upon dynamic between him and Bob.
A prequel would also allow for an awesome super villain, more powerful than the likes of Syndrome or The Underminer. Because this film would take place before all of the Supers seemingly vanished, it stands to reason that some super villains would exist too. This would also be a chance for the three protagonists to fight together — or perhaps there could be a rivalry between Helen and Bob as each hero tries to take down the baddie alone, and then they realize that the only way to defeat him/her is by working together.
One reason why this might not work, however, is that Pixar pulled off a great prequel with Monsters University, so they might hold off on another one. That brings us to my third and last idea for a second Incredibles film:
Future-based Film about Mr. and Mrs. Incredible’s Children
Helen and Bob had some pretty cool kids: Violet, who could create force-fields; Dash, who could run at super-speed; and Jack-Jack, who is a shape-shifter. We never got to see the three kids use their powers to their full potential, especially Jack-Jack. It would be interesting to see what became of them and their powers, and how they used them after the events of the first film. Does Jack-Jack have more powers than we saw in the first film? Possibly, but the only way we’ll find out is if Pixar decides to go in this direction.
I, personally, would be all for a story focused on the children in their adult years when each of the kids have families of their own. This would make for a whole new roster of characters, each with new abilities and powers. A crazy but interesting idea would be to have each family come together at a sort of “family reunion.” If there are families of Supers, maybe there are families of super villains as well — family vs. family… this is starting to sound like a game show. But if Pixar can make it work, I think it could be pretty epic.
So, those are the three directions I think Pixar could take if, and when, they ever release a sequel to The Incredibles. With the roadmap Pixar has laid out for future Pixar films, it doesn’t look like a sequel is coming anytime soon, but it’s fun to dream! Maybe we’ll see a sequel in the future once Pixar has a solid lineup of original stories, and a good story that they believe will work for the characters and world of The Incredibles.
Some other random reasons I want a sequel to this film are as follows:
- Advanced animation technology
- Music by Michael Giacchino
- Further insight into the world of the Supers
- More Edna Mode
- MORE SUPERHEROES!
