An Extraction shared universe is in the works at Netflix, according to producers Joe and Anthony Russo. Based on the Russos' graphic novel Ciudad, which they created with Ande Parks and Fernando León González, Extraction stars Chris Hemsworth as black market mercenary Tyler Rake as he is tasked with protecting the son of an international crime boss. It premiered in April of this year, and, armed with mixed-positive reviews, became a major hit for Netflix. In fact, data revealed Extraction is the streamer's biggest movie ever. It's no surprise that Netflix soon moved forward with a sequel, with Hemsworth potentially returning for another turn as Rake.
Aside from the confirmation that Extraction 2 is happening, there have been few updates about the sequel. A few weeks ago, Joe Russo confirmed they're working on the script and hope to film sometime in 2021. Many expect Hemsworth to return for Extraction 2, though the end of the first film left his fate up in the air. Rake was last seen falling into a river after being shot in the back, and fans have wondered if he survived ever since.
The Russos talked Extraction at their CCXP panel with Collider, though they didn't reveal any hints about Rake's fate. What they did share, however, is that there could be a lot more Extraction in the future. Joe, while not giving many specifics, confirmed he and Anthony are working on devising a greater Extraction universe, one that could delve into more characters beyond Rake. Joe said:
I’m still not gonna commit because I think it’s more exciting to surprise people, but I will say this: we are working at building out a universe of films that could potentially explore some of the other characters from the first movie and some new characters, and see more historical interaction between the characters. So if you’re interested in David Harbour’s character, you just may get to see him in a future Extraction movie.
Harbour's character Gaspar is one of Rake's former teammates. Seeing as the two previously worked together, there are numerous possibilities for future stories, perhaps centered around their past missions. Gaspar could also get a movie of his own, and when Extraction 2 arrives, it could introduce other characters ripe for their own spin-offs. As Extraction was a major hit for Netflix, it would make sense for the streamer to be interested in expanding upon this universe in a big way. It also sounds like the Russos are taking an interesting approach, as Joe added, "I think what makes that a compelling element to the Extraction universe is it is a global franchise telling global stories, and we’d like to diversify the point of view in those movies."
However, recent years have shown that shared universes often struggle to get off the ground, so Extraction needs to proceed with caution. The burgeoning franchise already has a leg up with the Russos on board, since they have experience in working with the biggest shared universe of all: The MCU. Plus, the first Extraction seemingly wasn't created with the purpose of setting up a massive universe; if anything, it just laid the foundation for one sequel. This could work out in its favor, since many universes fail early when they attempt to go too big too fast. All of this is to say, Extraction has plenty of potential, and it'll be interesting to see where it goes next.
Source: Collider