Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Tenet.
Could Batman in them - high-concept sci-fi movie Tenet actually does lend itself to further expansion. The movie may seem to wrap up some of the mind-bending, time-distorting story, but like Nolan's Inception, the potential is absolutely there to go a little deeper. So, will Nolan buck his own trend and make Tenet 2?
Tenet stars John David Washington as the enigmatically named The Protagonist alongside partner Robert Pattinson who are employed by a mysterious clandestine organization to help avert World War III and save the world. The Protagonist is given just one word, "Tenet" and sets about uncovering the mystery that could lead to the apocalypse. Along the way, the central pair meet a typically starry cast, including Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Dimple Kapadia and clash with terrorists, mysterious bad guys, and a pantomime villain in the form of Kenneth Branagh's idiosyncratic oligarch Sator.
With Tenet now out and Nolan fans always clamoring for more of his special brand of high-concept, imagination rich film-making, the question now is whether he will make a direct follow-up. There's definitely the opportunity there to build on the movie's universe, it will just come down to whether Nolan and the studio decide to go further.
Will Christopher Nolan Make Tenet 2?
The question of what Christopher Nolan will make next always quickly follows his latest movie release. Before Tenet's announcement, the Dark Knight Trilogy director was strongly linked with making a Bond movie and it's a rumor that is persistent, to say the least. Right now, Nolan's slate is completely clear and part of the reason the Bond rumors persist is that the director is in the enviable position of having his pick of projects. Even with the possible impact of COVID-19 on Tenet's box office, Nolan has the kind of tenure with studios to mean he could pick and choose and that could mean Tenet 2 is possible. It will, as ever, come down to whether he wants to deliver on the promise within Tenet that the ending is just the start.
When Tenet 2 Could Release
If Nolan was to work on Tenet 2 as his next project, it would presumably take at least the six months of filming on top of post-production, which would put a possible sequel into 2022 easily. Most problematically, Tenet took twenty years to make it out of Nolan's head and the script took six or seven years of that, in the director's own estimation. That's after Inception took Nolan 9 years to make. For a sequel to come soon, it would have to already be planned and scripted. Interestingly, despite Nolan's usual aversion to filming any more than he intends to use (his excuse for never including Deleted Scenes), Robert Pattinson told AZ Central during filming that Tenet was "the length of three movies". That is not true of the final film, but put that together with Pattinson's character, Neil, telling The Protagonist that the movie's ending is only the middle of the story and there could be a sequel already
Tenet 2's Cast
Obviously not all of the cast could return, but then perhaps that's using too much conventional thinking, which Tenet does not encourage. If Tenet is indeed only half of the story and John David Washington's The Protagonist is pulling the strings, then logically, he would be the focus of a sequel. On top of that, there's potential for Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Robert Pattinson, Clémence Poésy, Michael Caine (obviously), Himesh Patel, Martin Donovan, and possibly even Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki to return. The time-bending conceit offers enough potential that basically anything is possible and no character had an ending that couldn't feasibly be navigated.
What Could Tenet 2 Be About?
One thing is for certain, Tenet's ending certainly offers room and potential for a sequel. Even if the algorithm takes a backseat, there is still the question of the mysterious antagonists, who will presumably still be committed to their plan to destroy the world. On top of that, The Protagonist and Neil's final conversation hints at a longer shared history and as long as turnstiles exist, inverting time is possible and either side can continue to impact the timeline. There are enough questions left unresolved and story elements unexplored, like The Protagonist coming to form the organization and also meeting Neil plus Sator's involvement with his overlords could all be developed if Tenet 2 were to happen.
