Plane gave itself a sequel setup, but it really shouldn't pick up on it. Gerard Butler has become one of the few actors capable of fronting R-rated action movies that still hit theaters. The success of the Has Fallen movies or Den Of Thieves has made him the king of a particular brand of mid-budget blockbuster. The success of his 2023 thriller Plane shows he hasn't lost his touch either, with the film casting him as a pilot who has to lead his stranded passengers to safety, with a little help from Mike Colter's mystery convict.
Plane is a meat-and-potatoes action movie that offers few surprises, but its throwback tone is exactly why critics and audiences gravitated toward it. Outside of the Has Fallen saga - which has another outing Night Has Fallen in development - Butler doesn't have many franchises to his name. That's set to change, as he has follow-ups to his sleeper hit and oddly realistic sci-thriller Greenland and Den Of Thieves in development. Despite ending on a satisfying note, Plane leaves itself a little runway for another story, but Plane 2 doesn't need to happen.
How Plane Sets Up A Possible Sequel
Plane doesn't reveal much about the crime Colter's Louis was convicted of, while the story initially teases he could be a potential threat. Instead, he risks his life to help Butler's Brodie get the passengers off the island, which is run by a radical militia. During the finale, Louis decides to stay behind on the island and hold off the attacking militia while Brodie flies off. Louis is also seen stealing a Black Ops team's emergency funds, which should pay for his escape. Brodie eventually lands the plane on another, friendlier island, but the fate of Luke Cage star Colter's character is left a mystery.
A Plane sequel feels unlikely to focus entirely on Louis as he attempts to escape the island; given how he operated in the first outing, it can be safely assumed he managed to get away. That said, Plane 2 could still follow him as he tries to escape from authorities - and somehow enlist Brodie's help in that goal. Even if the movie proves to be a solid hit, it should avoid that temptation. Some audiences felt the Die Hard sequels stretched credibility by constantly putting John McClane in dangerous scenarios so that the odds of everyman Brodie and Louis being forced together on another adventure would practically be sci-fi.
How A Plane Sequel Could Actually Work
It's hard to picture a credible scenario that would pair Butler's - who has made several horror movies - Brodie and Louis again, but it could work if it was more of a standalone affair. A follow-up could focus on Louis' escape from authorities while exploring more of his backstory. It could also switch up the "Die Hard on an X" formula by taking place on a train or ship. That said, producers would likely opt for Butler to return too. If Plane is a big enough hit, those conversations will likely be happening, but unlike the Has Fallen series, it feels like the story of Plane has nowhere else to go.