“Blade Runner 2049” picks up the story of the 1982 original some 30 years later. Despite a lot of time passing both in the real world and in the “Blade Runner” universe, the movie does a very good job of extending the original story and opening up its world.
It doesn’t tie up all its loose threads, though. There are a few places in “Blade Runner 2049” that could potentially leave the door open for another sequel. And in the modern age of Hollywood, when extended universes and multi-movie franchises are big business, there’s always a possibility that successful movies will see further expansions.
These days, lots of movies save their biggest sequel teases for mid- and post-credits scenes. That fact leaves audiences with one big question: Should they stick around when the credits roll, or are they free to hit the bathroom (especially for movies like “Blade Runner 2049,” with a run time approaching three hours)?
If you’re the kind of person who’s eager to leave their seat after the last scene plays, there’s good news: “Blade Runner 2049” had no post-credits scene.
There is some suggestion that there could be more post- “2049” “Blade Runner,” though. Spoilers about some of the movie’s plot threads after this point!
As the story of “Blade Runner 2049” develops, the underlying conflict between humans and their genetically engineered slaves, the Replicants, starts to come to a boil. The movie never really gets to a full Replicant uprising, but it implies one could be coming on the horizon.
Key to triggering the spark of humanity among Replicants is the idea that they’re not just machines, but people. That idea is embodied in a single person: a child born from a Replicant 30 years before the plot of “2049” takes place. Replicant dissidents want to protect that child (now an adult) from the likes of Replicant manufacturer Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), who wants to use the secret of Replicant breeding to build better slaves.
The movie ends with some ambiguity as to whether an uprising is coming, but Wallace is thwarted at least in the short term. The balance of the world and the order of humans dominating Replicants could very well be upset in the future — and that could all happen in a new “Blade Runner” movie. And with critical acclaim behind “Blade Runner 2049,” it seems like another venture into the 1980s version of the future could definitely happen.