Warning! Major spoilers ahead for Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver.
Summary
- Zack Snyder explains that Gunnar's death in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver was a crucial moment for Kora's character arc.
- Gunnar's purpose in the sequel is to bring out Kora's deeper emotions and show that she's more than just a soldier.
- Rebel Moon is inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, meaning it was always likely to feature some big character deaths.
end of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, which hit Netflix in December, the space opera sequel sees Kora (Sofia Boutella) and her gang of fighters team with a village of peaceful farmers to fend off an incursion from the evil Imperium. The film features a prolonged battle sequence with a number of key characters meeting their ends, but perhaps the most powerful is Gunnar's (Michiel Huisman) emotional death towards the end of the film.
In a recent interview with THR, Snyder breaks down Gunnar's death in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, explaining why it's so crucial to Kora's arc. According to the director, the death of Huisman's character is a "stepping stone" for Kora as part of a much larger evolution in which she becomes more than just a soldier. Check out Snyder's full comment below:
As far as love goes and loving and the why of loving, Gunnar is probably the first lover she’d had that was transcendent of war. This lover was outside of the conflict, and he was just a guy, really. Gunnar is a good guy, but he’s just a guy. He’s not necessarily a soldier or a leader, and it’s a stepping stone for her. She’s on this journey of catharsis as well, obviously, and Gunnar’s sacrifice is part of that journey.
Rebel Moon 2 Was Always Going To Feature Some Big Character Deaths
Zack Snyder's Sci-Fi Franchise Is Based On An Akira Kurosawa Classic
Snyder has been open about the fact his Rebel Moon saga is inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. The 1954 film tells the story of seven samurai warriors as they defend a village from bandits, and, notably, only three of the seven survive the final confrontation. The Magnificent Seven, both the 1960 and 2016 versions, are adaptations of this same story, and the seven main cowboys don't all make it to the end credits.
With Snyder's sequel mostly focusing on preparation for a final battle with the Imperium and then the battle itself, audiences were always going to bid farewell to some key of Rebel Moon's cast of characters. In addition to Gunnar, the sequel also features Nemesis, Doona Bae's sword-wielding warrior, meeting her end while facing off against a group of Imperium soldiers. Rebel Moon 2 does, however, leave Kora and a number of other key figures alive should Snyder get to make a third installment in his sci-fi franchise.
In a recent interview with Screen Rant, co-writer Kurt Johnstad revealed that Snyder has ambitions to turn Rebel Moon into a six-movie saga.
It's unclear whether any additional projects in the franchise will move forward, but the Rebel Moon 2 reviews have been quite scathing from critics, and not all that positive from audiences either. Viewership and engagement will be the key metrics that Netflix uses to gauge the sequel's success, however, and it could end up doing well in this regard. While the future of the franchise after Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver remains in question, it's clear that Gunnar's death will continue to impact Kora moving forward.
Source: THR
Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver
- Release Date
- April 19, 2024
- Runtime
- 122 Minutes
- Director
- Zack Snyder
Cast
Sofia Boutella
Charlie Hunnam
WHERE TO WATCH
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.
- Writers
- Shay Hatten, Kurt Johnstad, Zack Snyder
- Franchise(s)
- Rebel Moon
- Studio(s)
- Grand Electric, The Stone Quarry
- Distributor(s)
- Netflix
- Main Genre
- Action
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