The flashy Rebel Moon franchise was originally conceived as a Star Wars-style universe for streaming, but its two installments have struggled to find an audience. 2023’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire and its 2024 follow-up, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, were both savaged by critics, and neither managed to generate the cultural traction Netflix had hoped for. Even the release of extended, R-rated director’s cuts—which Snyder argued more faithfully represented his original vision—failed to move the needle with viewers.
A Hesitant Answer About the Franchise’s Future
When pressed about whether a third Rebel Moon film would ever see the light of day, Snyder’s response was far from reassuring. Rather than offering the kind of optimism that fans had hoped for, he danced around the question, hinting that the existing films would need to accumulate significant viewership support before a sequel could realistically happen.
“I don’t know. I made the director’s cuts of the movies, and I just think it’s like one of those things where… and I do feel that as those maybe get a little bit more popular and sort of like get discovered and there’s a little bit more groundswell about maybe making another one.”
Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon
The tone marks a notable shift from just a year ago, when Snyder told Variety that he was simply waiting for the dust to settle before deciding how to proceed with the franchise. At that time, he revealed he had become distracted by other projects, including an LAPD SWAT movie for Netflix, and chose to let the Rebel Moon world “boil for a minute” while he took a break from the exhausting production process.
Endless Stories, Uncertain Execution
Despite his reservations, Snyder insisted that the creative potential of the Rebel Moon universe remains vast. He described the storytelling possibilities as “literally endless,” though he stopped short of committing to any concrete plans for moving forward.
“There’s tons of stories. I think it’s literally, it’s endless. But, again, like I say, I’m waiting to see how we want to and in what way we would move forward, if at all.”
Zack Snyder, director of Rebel Moon
Snyder’s caution is echoed by the film’s own creative team. Last year, Rebel Moon co-writer Kurt Johnstad told the Minutemen Podcast that the team had outlined films three, four, five, and six, but that the ultimate decisions about production and funding rested far above his pay grade. He expressed hope that the story could be told to its very end, praising the world and characters he helped create.
“We know where we can go, and we have very detailed outlines. Zack has literally plotted out the whole world. So with some luck and an act of god we’ll get to go back to that world.”
Kurt Johnstad, co-writer of Rebel Moon
Johnstad’s mention of needing “an act of god” to revive the franchise underscores the precarious position in which the project now sits. Combined with Snyder’s recent remarks, it appears that a Rebel Moon 3 will require not just creative will, but a significant surge in fan support and commercial success to overcome the critical panning and modest reception that have haunted the series since its debut.
Looking Ahead
For now, the Rebel Moon franchise remains in limbo. Snyder has moved on to other projects, including his upcoming film The Last Photograph, and has made clear that any decision about the future of the Rebel Moon universe will depend heavily on how the existing films perform with audiences over time. Until a measurable groundswell of support emerges, fans hoping to see Kora, Jimmy, and the rest of the world return to the screen may find themselves waiting in a galaxy far, far away.
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