Warning: SPOILERS ahead for 6 Underground.
Directed by Michael Bay, 6 Underground sets up an entire movie franchise that could extend well beyond a proper trilogy. The storyline revolves around a team of underground operatives, and unsurprisingly concludes with a sequel tease. But an early moment reveals that Netflix may be planning for as many as eight sequels.
6 Underground stars Ryan Reynolds as One, a billionaire with a mysterious CIA background. Hoping to change the world on his own terms, One fakes his death and works secretly with a team of “ghosts” based in a California complex known as the “Haunted House.” Bay’s film details the team’s attempts to remove Turgistan dictator Rovach Alimov (Lior Raz) from power, and replace him with his brother, Murat (Payman Maadi), who seems like the ideal figure to lead a democratic revolution. 6 Underground includes various timelines that explain character backstories, and how One came to the realization that change was necessary. The film was written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Rheese, the screenwriters behind the Reynolds-led Deadpool films. 6 Underground's critic reviews have been poor thus far, but the popcorn entertainment template will certainly appeal to casual Netflix streamers.
In 6 Underground’s final moments, One celebrates a successful mission with comrades Two (Mélanie Laurent), Three (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Four (Ben Hardy), Five (Adria Arjona), and Seven (Corey Hawkins). Three makes a brief joke about robbing a casino the next time around - a reference to the Ocean’s Eleven movie franchise, in which various individuals with unique skill sets rob a Las Vegas casinos. However, it’s not necessarily that last line of 6 Underground dialogue that foreshadows what’s to come, but rather an early moment at the team’s Haunted House.
After 6 Underground’s rough first mission in Florence, One recruits war veteran Blaine (Hawkins) as the team’s seventh member, the so-called “Operative.” He explains the crew’s motivations and intentions at the Haunted House, and how exactly they’ll proceed moving forward. For clarity, One details - through voiceover narration - that many people get too caught up worrying about all the horrors of the world. The 6 Underground team figuratively puts those horrors in a box so that they can operate more efficiently. One and company strategize to bring down evil men who “have been placing too much s**t in the box.” Inside the Haunted House, there’s a “hit board” that includes nine targets. Since 6 Underground is primarily about Target #1 - Rovach Alimov - there are eight more missions to complete, and maybe eight more Netflix movies to produce.
But does the 6 Underground cast want to make eight more movies? Not necessarily, evidenced by Reynolds' comments to Screen Rant during the press junket in Brazil. It’s also worth noting that 6 Underground breaks its own rules. One steadily reminds the team not to reveal their names, and not to get too close with one another, but not only does everybody reveal their names (except One), Two (Camille) begins a sexual relationship with Three (Javier), and the final moments reveal that Four (Billy) has grown closer with Five (Amelia). In theory, 6 Underground does indeed set up eight sequels. But the final revelation - that One has a son - further implies that the collective characters will have to re-assess their life perspectives as new information emerges. Maybe the 6 Underground "hit board" is merely part of Netflix's promotional campaign to create some extra buzz.