Trent Luckinbill, producer of Sicario and its sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado, has gone on record to say that he is working on getting the series’ original star, Emily Blunt, back on board. Blunt does not appear in Day of the Soldado because screenwriter Taylor Sheridan claimed he didn’t feel right including her character in the sequel, as he felt her character arc was complete by the end of the first film.

Sicario, which was directed by Denis Villeneuve and released in 2015, followed Blunt’s character Kate Macer, an FBI agent who becomes in over her head when she joins a task force dedicated to bringing down the Mexican drug cartel. Those who've seen the ambitious crime thriller know that Blunt made quite the impression as the film’s protagonist, going toe-to-toe with her co-stars Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, and Daniel Kaluuya with a layered, subtle lead performance. Fans of Villeneuve’s original film were disappointed and confused to hear that Blunt would not return for its sequel.

Fortunately, it appears as though Luckinbill has heard viewers’ qualms concerning Blunt and feels the same way about her presence in the film series. The producer told Cinema Blend that he is “absolutely” considering bringing Blunt back into the fold for a Sicario 3, explaining that, “I think Taylor [Sheridan] certainly has some ideas about all of that, but we're open to that world and certainly would love to bring Emily back. We haven't written the script yet, but yeah it would make a lot of sense. We're all fans of the movie, we've all come to the same conclusion, which is 'It would be great to see her again.' So I think we're striking up those conversations now.”


Blunt’s absence won’t be the only major change viewers will notice when they show up for Day of the Soldado. Although stars Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro did return for the sequel, some important talent behind the camera did not. Visionary director Denis Villeneuve opted out of a second film to focus on other projects, such as Blade Runner 2049. Those involved with Day of the Soldado have also confirmed that the sequel will be quite different story-wise as well. Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan claimed that themes surrounding American politics and the “militarization of police” will not be present in the sequel, while Day of the Soldado’s director, Stefano Sollima, described the film as a stand-alone with a completely different story.

A few factors are up in the air concerning Blunt’s return to the Sicario series. A third film has essentially been guaranteed by Luckinbill, so the story will almost certainly continue. Perhaps most important is the fact that Taylor Sheridan still seems to have reservations about bringing Blunt’s character back into the series’ storyline. However, Luckinbill recognizes the impact Blunt had on the first film and indicated that producers are very open to the British actress’ return. Also important to note is the performance of Day of the Soldado, both at the box-office amongst fans and among professional critics. Whereas Sicario met critical acclaim upon its release back in 2015, it remains to be seen if Day of the Soldado can measure up to its powerful predecessor. If the sequel doesn’t perform as well as producers hope, it might add incentive to bring back Blunt and see if her presence can revive the series.