WARNING! SPOILERS ahead for the Five Nights At Freddy's Games!

Summary

• Afton's soul is bound to Springtrap in FNAF 2, setting the stage for his return as a central antagonist in the story.
• The Puppet will reveal Afton's backstory in the movie, with ties to Garrett's spirit driving Mike and Abby back to the restaurant.
• FNAF 2 might be a prequel, providing a fresh twist and opening up new possibilities for character development and story progression.

FNAF might be Lillard's new Scream franchise. A large part of the film's notoriety among audiences has to do with the massively popular video game it's based on. Five Nights At Freddy's will doubtlessly go on to incur many films if it continues to expand the world of the games.

Five Nights At Freddy's left his fate somewhat open-ended for this reason, knowing that the franchise can't exist without Afton.

Based on Five Nights At Freddy's ending, audiences haven't seen the last of Afton, and if the next movie follows the lore of the games, he's primed to be the central antagonist of the story moving forward. Five Nights At Freddy's left his fate somewhat open-ended for this reason, knowing that the franchise can't exist without Afton. Now that the world of the story has been established in the first movie, it would be wise for the sequel to start to delve into the backstories of the characters and the events that made Freddy Fazbear's Pizza what it is today.

Movie and TV video game adaptations have taken the world by storm with the recent critical and audience behind shows like Fallout and The Last of Us. However, what Five Nights At Freddy's did so well was incorporating a good balance of easter eggs for fans of the games while introducing the story to audiences who had never played. In this way, the Five Nights At Freddy's franchise has transcended its origins and transformed into a hallmark of the modern horror genre. Along with Lillard, audiences can expect to see Josh Hutcherson return as Mike.

Watch Five Nights At Freddy's on Prime Video.

6 Afton's Soul Is In The Springtrap Suit

The original lore of the games and where the series is leading

It's less a question of if Afton's soul will be fused with the Spring Trap suit, and more of when, as his ultimate fate in the FNAF games is to become one of the spirits that possess a suit. It's common knowledge among game players that Afton is practically invincible in the games and finds a way to come back to life in almost every iteration. He possesses a few different suits, but the most famous is the Spring Trap bunny featured prominently in FNAF 3. However, placing Afton in this position might end the franchise before it's even begun.

In the movie, Mike learns that Afton is the man behind the murders of the children, so they have plenty of unfinished business.

If FNAF 2 wants Afton to be the movie’s primary antagonist and wants to deviate from the games, then Afton will most likely appear as Springtrap. In the games, there is a time jump between meeting Afton and him becoming one of the spirits that haunt Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. In the movie, Mike learns that Afton is the man behind the murders of the children, so they have plenty of unfinished business. Since Lillard has signed on to do several films for the FNAF universe, having him become Springtrap now would mean later stories run the risk of becoming repetitive.

5 His Backstory Will Be Revealed Through The Puppet

The puppet will likely play a large role in FNAF 2

The thrust of the first FNAF movie revolves around Mike and his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), struggling to keep their family together after the disappearance and likely death of their brother, Garrett. Throughout the story, as Mike slowly pieces together the circumstances surrounding Garrett's disappearance and the connection that Afton has to the children who haunt Freddy Fazbear's, it's hinted that Afton might have something to do with Garrett's death. At the end of FNAF, the Puppet, a central antagonist in the games, briefly appears, foreshadowing the next movie's plot.

If the Puppet is in FNAF 2​​​​​​, it would be an opportunity for Afton to appear, but leave his main story for the third film. The Puppet could flashback to the beginning of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza and the backstory that started it all. This could include the bite of '87 and Aftons early partnership with Henry Emily. Emily didn't play a large role in the first movie, but he started the restaurant and helped Afton create the animatronics. There's a theory that Mike is related to Emily in the FNAF movies which could be shown in flashbacks alongside Afton's past.

4 Afton Will Come After Vanessa

His daughter in the movie's canon

However, making her his daughter was an interesting change that ultimately made her a more compelling character, especially when she chose to turn on him and do the right thing.

Vanessa's (Elizabeth Lail) role in the movie is markedly changed from the games, as she is revealed to be Afton's daughter in the final confrontation. In the games, Vanessa is first and foremost a villain and has been brainwashed by Afton's cult. However, making her his daughter was an interesting change that ultimately made her a more compelling character, especially when she chose to turn on him and do the right thing. She meets Mike in the movie, and eventually s his side, betraying her father. Unfortunately, this nearly cost her life.

Afton ends up stabbing Vanessa at the last moment, and though she doesn't die, the last time the audience sees her, she's in a coma. It's unlikely that FNAF 2 will kill her off, as she was a welcome addition to the movie, and the twist with her character was one of the stronger story elements in the books. If she lives, Afton will be inclined to track her down and finish the job. Conversely, her father's violence might spur Vanessa to work more closely with Mike and continue going after Afton until he's out of the world forever.

3 Garrett Is The Puppet So Mike & Abby Must Go Back

The reason that Mike and Abby decide to return to the restaurant

One of the central problems with horror movie sequels is that it often seems illogical for characters from the first film to return to the place that almost killed them and caused so much harm. However, the connection between Garrett and Afton will likely be what motivated Mike and Abby to come back to the restaurant. Additionally, if Mike stays in with Vanessa, they could forces to hunt for Afton. However, the most effective way to draw them back and allow Afton to reappear would be for Garrett's spirit to possess the Puppet.

Though the Puppet is an antagonist in the games, and it would be painful for Mike and Abby to see their brother so unhappy, his spirit might not be able to find rest until they return and set him free. Confirming that Afton is the one who killed him, and ensuring that Afton cannot kill again would be an effective way to do this. Additionally, Mike discovered much about Garrett's disappearance through dream theory and searching his subconscious, so using the Puppet to give backstory and unlock memories would be a clever twist on the first story's format.

2 FNAF 2 Is A Prequel

The entire movie takes place in the past

The choice to make FNAF 2 a prequel would be a clever way for the next movie to include characters from the first movie without dealing with the next phase of Afton's development. Hutcherson, Lail, and other characters could still be in the movie by having them play different characters from the earlier decades. The prequel could confirm that Mike and Abby are the direct descendants of Henry Emily. Having Hutcherson play Emily would be a fun way to bridge this connection. Additionally, Hutcherson and Lillard have more scenes together and their chemistry from the first movie was fantastic.

These viewers wouldn't be expecting the prequel, and it would be entertaining to see Lillard take on a larger role.

Though the FNAF 2 prequel twist would be difficult to pull off, it's not impossible, and since audiences aren't expecting it, it might be the perfect moment to capitalize on it. The games are enormously popular, but the first FNAF movie gained a larger audience that included people who had never played the games. These viewers wouldn't be expecting the prequel, and it would be entertaining to see Lillard take on a larger role. Additionally, only seeing the backstory in flashbacks often leaves too much out and doesn't do the story justice.

1 FNAF 2 Will Include A Time Jump

Conversely, FNAF 2 could move forward in time and age up the characters

Though the significant time jump in the games might be too difficult to pull off, a smaller skip would be doable, and could effectively push the story forward. Logistically, the adult actors won't have changed too much since the first film, but Piper Rubio, who plays Abby, will have grown up quite a bit since the last movie. Acknowledging that time has ed instead of picking up exactly where Five Nights At Freddy's left off would allow the audience to get reacquainted with the story. This jump also gives Afton time to regroup and fully transform into Springtrap.

Time skips can be difficult to communicate if not much has changed since the first movie, but Five Nights At Freddy's 2 left off with many cliffhangers that could be extended by moving forward in time. Additionally, if Mike and Vanessa have become estranged and need to reconnect because something from the restaurant has drawn them back in, that would be a natural way to provide exposition from the original movie. A time jump could also appease fans of the game who want the films to follow the story more closely.