The I Am Legend movie significantly altered the central themes of the original book, and now I Am Legend 2 risks taking these changes even further. Written by Richard Matheson in the 1950s, the I Am Legend book centered on the idea that protagonist Robert Neville was the very last uninfected human on Earth. This was contradicted in the movie by the arrival of humans that had not been turned into Darkseekers, and the ultimate reveal that there was a settlement of uninfected people in Vermont.

Writer and producer Akiva Goldsman has revealed that I Am Legend 2 is happening and will follow the first film's alternate ending, in which Will Smith's Robert Neville discovered that the I Am Legend Darkseekers were capable of things like love and community. This ending, though still significantly different from the I Am Legend book, was more closely aligned to the source material in that Neville realized he was the villain because he had been capturing, experimenting on, and killing the infected humans. However, that is where the similarities end.

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How I Am Legend Changed The Original Book's Message

I am legend 2 will smith problem

In the I Am Legend book, Robert Neville is taken by a community of Darkseekers and held prisoner. As he awaited what was sure to be his death, Neville realized that, as the last member of humanity as it used to be, he no longer had a place in the world. He had thought of the I Am Legend monsters as abominations, but since they now made up the majority, he was the true monster. Ultimately, Neville died knowing he was passing on to become a legend. Since I Am Legend introduced other uninfected humans to the plot, the idea of Neville as a legend was thrown out the window.

This was somewhat redefined in the film's official ending, where Smith's character gave his life to ensure a cure reached those who needed it. However, in the alternate ending in which he lived, Robert Neville diverged entirely from the purpose of his character in the I Am Legend book. Since I Am Legend 2 is continuing from the latter, it risks losing the original point even further.

Why I Am Legend 2 Will Forget The Book's Main Point

A blended image of Will Smith in I Am Legend and Michael B. Jordan

Goldsman claims that the sequel, which will follow the I Am Legend alternate ending, will align better with the original book. However, if it continues down the path established in the I Am Legend movie, the adaptation will still differ in all the ways that matter. The sequel is stated to take place 20 to 30 years after the alternate ending left off, meaning there has been sufficient time for the Darkseekers to have evolved into the organized community seen in the books. However, the community of uninfected humans prohibits Neville from becoming the "legend" he is meant to be.

This divergence from the book is further supported by the reveal that actor Michael B. Jordan will join the cast for I Am Legend 2. The character he will be playing has been kept tightly under wraps. Still, prevalent theories make him Robert Neville's son - who could have been born and grown up during the time gap - or an uninfected member of the Vermont community. Two uninfected humans would mean the main point of the I Am Legend book would be impossible, leaving I Am Legend 2 to assign itself its own unique themes.

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