Why Crawl 2 Is Happening Without The Original Cast Returning

Crawl 2 is finally happening, but many fans of the original horror film are wondering why the Crawl sequel won’t have the original cast return. The modest horror film from 2019 turned out to be a big hit upon its release, with the original Crawl garnering an incredibly positive critical reception as well as a surprisingly impressive box office despite its seemingly goofy premise. Due to the success of the original, Crawl 2 is officially happening, although its entirely new cast of characters will provide a major twist due to the lack of returning characters.

Five years after the release of the original movie, Crawl 2 has officially been announced, with Paramount finally beginning development on the sequel to the exciting alligator thriller. Crawl 2 will see director Alexandre Aja return to the franchise, as well as producers Craig Flores and Sam Raimi. Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan are the writers behind the Crawl 2 script, which will presumably feature much of the same alligator action while focusing on new characters in a new setting. So, while Crawl 2 is incredibly exciting, it has raised a major question regarding the characters from the first film.

Crawl 2 Bringing Back The Original Stars Would Risk Ruining The First Movie’s Ending

Hayley Doesn’t Need To Return

The original 2019 Crawl stars Kaya Scodelario as protagonist Hayley Keller and Barry Pepper as her father Dave Keller, with Hayley trekking through a flooding Florida town in an attempt to rescue her father from a flooded house and a pack of giant alligators. Despite the film centering on the Keller family in Florida, Crawl 2 will change things entirely, with the film focusing on an all-new cast of characters and taking place in New York City. Some fans may miss Hayley and her family, but focusing on new characters in Crawl 2 is definitely a good thing.

The reason that the first Crawl was so good was Hayley’s determination, with her persevering through all kinds of unique dangers so that she could save her father. This motivation eventually pays off when she and her father are successfully rescued, with this being the perfect ending for these two characters. Bringing them back would require Crawl 2 to come up with a convoluted and unbelievable reason for the duo to be put in the same situation once again. Instead, it is better to lay these characters to rest and move on to a new Crawl cast.

Crawl 2 Is Better Off Introducing New Characters

Especially Because Of Its New Setting

Despite some viewers being upset, Crawl 2 is way better off introducing new characters. Bringing back the Kellers would already require the incredibly unbelievable coincidence that Hayley and her father are trapped in another building with a pack of alligators, meaning that they shouldn’t return even if the sequel was set in Florida. However, Crawl 2 is set in New York City, making this coincidence even more unbelievable due to them having to move to New York and encounter more alligators, which are far rarer in the state.

However, introducing new characters can fix these problems, as it is more believable for them to encounter alligators depending on their circumstances. These new characters could be employees of an aquarium or a reptile showcase, giving a more plausible reason for why so many alligators are in one place in New York City. This also allows Crawl 2 to give these new characters a stronger motivation rather than retroactively coming up with something new for Hayley to do, further proving that it is the right call.

Crawl 2 Can Still Honor Kaya Scodelario & Barry Pepper’s Characters

By Referencing Them

Although Kaya Scodelario and Berry Pepper won’t be appearing in Crawl 2, the sequel can still honor their characters. While Hayley and her father wouldn’t be world-famous due to their exploits in Florida, it is possible that their story could have made them notable enough for some characters to remember. If the New York City characters are familiar enough with alligators to get into the type of trouble seen in Crawl, it is entirely believable that they would have heard this story, meaning that they could reference the events of the first film.

A small nod to the original characters is the perfect way to honor the first movie’s legacy, as any other method would be too unbelievable. While the cast of the first Crawl is great, it is better to let the sequel be its own thing, which will hopefully lead to Crawl 2 being just as good as the original.