The following contains spoilers for The Bad Guys 2, now playing in theatersThe Bad Guys 2ends on a fun and open-ended note, which suggests a wide-open future for DreamWorks' latest big-budget animated franchise. The film focuses on the titular Bad Guys, a crew of career criminals who are struggling to go good.The Bad Guysdebuted in 2022 to strong reviews and becamea sleeper hit for DreamWorks, setting up some short films and a holiday special. The series is now formally returning to the big screen withThe Bad Guys 2, which ups the ante by introducing new villains and a heist in space.
The Bad Guys 2matches the entertaining tenor of the first film, with the stylish and silly take on the heist film incorporating some surprisingly introspective observations about the nature of redemption in society. That doesn’t detract from the film’s loftier goals, setting up several potential directions for sequel storylines. Here are all the waysThe Bad Guys 2sets up the future of the franchise in exciting ways.
The Bad Guys 2’s ending sets up a whole new slew of adventures for Wolf and his gang after they fake their deaths,transforming the master criminals into secret agents for future stories. After successfully defeating the Bad Girls, clearing their names, and faking their deaths, the Bad Guys are recruited by a new government agency.
The final scene of the film showcases the Bad Guys — with Diane now formally a member of the gang — in suits heading off on a mission.This sets up any prospective sequels toThe Bad Guysto graduate from heist film riffsto an animated take on a spy caper, itself a genre ripe for parodying.
The Bad Guys 2escalates the stakes for Mr. Wolf and the rest of his friends to the point where they survive an impromptu sprint up a moving rocket.Taking things in the spy thriller direction could allow them to keep pushing the extremes of the series, similar to certain eras of the James Bond franchise.
It’s a clever tactic for the series to take,leaving plenty of room for an ongoing plot to developor giving the straightforward freedom to do stand-alone adventures. The main characters have been so thoroughly defined in the first two films that any of them could carry a connected film, show, or short.
Professor Marmalade Has Apparently Been An Alien All Along
Professor Marmalade was the main villain ofThe Bad Guys, an evil genius who schemes to frame the Bad Guys for his litany of crimes. After being arrested for the Crimson Paw’s actions inThe Bad Guys' ending, Marmalade spendsThe Bad Guys 2imprisoned.He’s initially a source of information for Diane, as well as an advisor to Kitty Kat.
However, the post-credits scene teases that the villain had a much larger hand in the plot than initially presented. During the climax ofThe Bad Guys 2, Marmalade was seemingly doomed when his gold limo (with him inside) was lifted into space by the Bad Girls' scheme.However, the post-credits scene reveals this was his plan all along.
It’s a fun and unexpectedly weird beat for an already off-kilter film, which could set up a much bigger future storyline.
The limo is actually a rocket, allowing him to travel into deep space. His mention of “going home” also suggests a previously unknown alien origin for the villain. It’s a big change from his previous appearance, and couldset up a far more cosmic danger at play in a potentialThe Bad Guys 3.
Marmalde has effectively become a lingering threadThe Bad Guyscan return to at any point, even if they charge ahead with more stand-alone adventure stories about the Bad Guys working as spies. It’s a fun and unexpectedly weird beat for an already off-kilter film, which could set up a much bigger future storyline.
The Bad Girls — Kitty Kat, Doom, and Pigtail Petrova — are the central antagonists ofThe Bad Guys 2, althoughKitty is the only one portrayed as actively malicious. All of them are arrested by the end of the film, though Doom and Pigtail are shown enjoying each other’s company while Kitty stews in isolation.
This notably leaves the door open for any of the three to return in future stories.Petrova developed a silly dynamic with the rest of the Bad Guys, which could serve as some fun comic relief in a future film. Likewise, Doom’s romantic dynamic with Snake is reiterated at the end of the film, with Snake leaving a message for her that could pay off later.
Doom, aka “Susan”
Pigtail Petrova
Maria Bakalova
The most interesting potential future for the series lies with Kitty. Revealed to be just as ruthless as she is ambitious, Kitty is a uniquely brutal figure in the openly cartoonish world ofThe Bad Guys. Kitty could easily return as an antagonist, continuing her role fromThe Bad Guys 2as a dark foil to Wolf in future stories.
However, she could also prove to be too valuable a resource to waste. As such,future stories could require the Bad Guys to recruit Kitty for a new mission, turning her into a dangerous wildcard instead of the more overt antagonist that Professor Marmalade becomes by the end of the film. It’s a wide-open future for the Bad Girls in future films.
Wolf And Fox’s Romance Could Drive Future Storylines
The Bad Guysfilms have proven blunt in their more adult themes compared to other DreamWorks movies.This carries over to the two romance subplots of the movie. The more comical (and plot-relevant one) is Doom’s seduction of Snake. Snake is only more attracted to her after every betrayal, a comedic beat that pays off when she saves his life.
A sequel toThe Bad Guys 2could continue that relationship.DreamWorks could also use Snake and Doom’s next rendezvous(and whatever shenanigans it causes) as the basis for a special or short. The more important romance for the greater series is the one that blossoms between Wolf and Diane.
Diane and Wolf flirted in the first film, and the sequel quickly establishes a mutual attraction that they can’t follow through on because of the optics of Diane (the state governor) beginning a relationship with a known criminal. After being exposed as a thief herself,Diane stops caring and gives Wolf a deep kiss during the climax.
With Diane seemingly a full-time member of the Bad Guys now that they’ve become spies,the romance between her and Wolf will likely be a driving factor in future stories. They could remain a couple in the field, be challenged by major life events together, or struggle with working together after splitting. There’s a lot of potential there forThe Bad Guys 3.
Redemption Is Hard, But Worth It
Amid the slapstick action and colorful betrayals,The Bad Guys 2is about the challenges faced by people navigating life after being caught in the justice system. The Bad Guys had their redemption arc, but they’re still ex-cons who can’t get steady jobs and struggle to pay the rent.
The film explores the hopelessness of being condemned by a world that they’re struggling to prove themselves to. Wolf is even briefly tempted by the prospect of turning on the society that seems to want nothing to do with him.The film underscores that respect is earned, personified by Wolf’s dynamic with Commissioner Misty Luggins.
In his past, Wolf used fear as a tool to become notorious, something Luggins reminds him of. Kitty relies on fear, going even further by threatening her compatriots and endangering the world, all to “make a statement.“The difference is that Wolf wants to be redeemedand is willing to put in the work to earn respect instead of scaring people.
This leads Wolf to work with Luggins, eventually convincing her to trust him.This willingness to take a chance on the Bad Guys saves countless livesfrom the fallout of Kitty’s plans.The Bad Guys 2is quietly about a movie about how redemption takes work on both sides, and the good it can do when it’s fully achieved.
