22 Jump Street has no shortage of great comic performances, but Wyatt Russell's football jock Zook is the movie's secret weapon. Johnny Depp first rose to fame as heartthrob detective Tom Hanson on TV show 21 Jump Street, which followed a team of youthful-looking detectives who go undercover in high schools or colleges to catch criminals. Depp wasn't a major fan of the series, however, and left after the fourth season. The franchise was given a comic reinvention with 2012's 21 Jump Street, starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill; Depp made a brief cameo as Hanson, who is promptly riddled with bullets.
21 Jump Street proved to be a surprise hit and work quickly began on follow-up 22 Jump Street. In keeping with the meta tone of the first film, it's a comment on sequels themselves, with the film featuring an almost identical plot. The follow-up is arguably even better than the original, with co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller bringing their own unique comic style. The movie also has an all-timer credit scene, as the franchise "continues" on to increasingly outlandish sequels, including 26 Jump Street: Art School and 40 Jump Street: Retirement Home. It seems increasingly unlikely Schmidt and Jenko will be returning for another movie, though there was once talk of a Men In Black crossover dubbed MIB 23 that was later cancelled.
22 Jump Street certainly isn't short of great comic performances, from Ice Cube to Peter Stormare, but Wyatt Russell deserves a nod for his underrated turn. The story sees Jenko and Schmitt go undercover at a college to find a drug called WHY-PHY, and Jenko quickly finds himself at home with the football team. He becomes fast friends with Russell's Zook, after accidentally dropping a Q-tip in his meat sandwich, which in their words is like a "meat cute."
Zook and Jenko quickly become "dudebros," to the point that the latter thinks about quitting the force to take up a football scholarship with his new bestie. Wyatt Russell gives a charmingly gormless turn as Zook in 22 Jump Street, and it's easy to see why Jenko would instantly take to his equally meatheaded new friend. They form a surprisingly sweet friendship too, with Russell tending to steal their scenes together.
Wyatt Russell would follow-up 22 Jump Street with roles in Cold In July and World War 2 horror Overlord. Leigh Whannell is currently attached to write the remake script for Escape From New York and dubbed Wyatt Russell as the obvious candidate to take over the role of Snake Plissken, who was played by his father Kurt in the 1981 original.