The future of KPop Demon Hunters[1] as a franchise remains unclear even as the massive Netflix hit[2] acquired from Sony Pictures Animation continues to dominate pop culture[3]. The fandom, of course, expects a sequel—and it’s already abuzz with what’s next for Rumi, Zoey, and Mira and their destiny to keep the Honmoon sealed from the demon world.
Here are just some of the things we’d love to see explored in an eventual (and probably inevitable) KPop Demon Hunters 2.
Different Demon Hunter Eras
The mythology of the Demon Hunter lore goes deep if there was always a trio of singers holding the Honmoon down. It would be so cool to explore spinoffs of different eras through a series or anthology of shorts (think Star Wars: Visions) that jumps around time periods and perhaps other countries.
I’m interested in learning if other cultures also have music magic wielders and how demons might work through commercial music to try to gain control. I want to learn about other bands, maybe in short-form spin-offs, to set up new characters for the future. There are so many possibilities!
Rumi’s Family Backstory
Rumi being the love child of a demon and a hunter is an origin story we want to see. It’s perfect for a prequel or somehow pulling a Godfather 2 with dual timelines arcing into how that informs Rumi’s destiny.
Perhaps we could glimpse her father’s and mother’s past as they meet in the present to further the complexities of good vs. evil between the demons and the humans. If Jinu could be a good-guy demon, maybe Rumi’s father was too. There was so much left unanswered by Celine (Rumi’s guardian); we don’t really know what happened to her parents or how they were dealt with by Gwi-ma and the other good guys.
Theories have abounded about Rumi being related to Gwi-ma, but being his daughter directly seems unlikely—maybe his granddaughter? Would that be too Star Wars-y? It would be best if Rumi’s lineage was explored without her having to be a product of pure good and pure evil.
Bringing Jinu Back
Usually we think characters should stay dead but not this man. Our boy Jinu deserves a second chance. His sacrifice was huge so we’d like to see him return in some way. A popular theory online is that he’s trapped in Rumi’s[4] sword, which would make sense as he gave her his soul and became a part of the prism Honmoon. Plus, if Derpy and Sussie are still around, they might be able to find him through their connection to pull him out of a backdoor of sorts. Maybe he’s human again but doesn’t remember who he was? We want the drama and to have him earn his way back to Rumi; that’s both fulfilling and romantic. We don’t need any more tragic star-crossed lovers; that could have been Rumi’s parents story but it doesn’t have to be hers.
And speaking of bringing back characters, maybe let’s give the Saja Boys a chance at redemption too. It would be nice to see them come back as comedic relief and try to do good while making more good music. We miss Baby and Abby. Perhaps they can team up with Huntr/x to defeat a bigger threat. Also, more Derpy and Sussie always and forever, please.
A Full Huntr/x Album
As someone who wished there was a Powerline album out of A Goofy Movie and who excitedly bought that special edition Josie and the Pussycats (2001) vinyl, I cannot stress enough that we need a whole Huntr/x album. Songwriter EJAE (who does the singing voice for Rumi), along with voice cast singers Audrey Nuna (Mira) and Rei Ami (Zoey), will soon be performing awards-season contender “Golden” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which feels like a test run for a real-life Huntr/x and more music, we hope.
Huntr/x could really do a whole sequel companion album—that would be so meta! The future of Huntr/x feels unlimited because we’d be seated to see a sequel movie in a theater or at home and go to the official tour with Huntr/x light sticks in hand. Do it for the fans!
Demon Hunter World Song Contest
Picture it: Huntr/x is the main band we follow as the sequel introduces a bigger global threat that’s connected to Rumi’s family. Who you gonna call? A story along these lines could bring in other Demon Hunters for an Avengers-style team-up from around the world that’s part world song contest (like Eurovision) and part Mortal Kombat.
Maybe the latter might be too extreme for the world of KPop Demon Hunters but the baddies have to be vanquished somehow. And these potential team-ups can be characters introduced through friendly competition in the sequel, with their side stories featured in an anthology leading up to a third film where it all comes together.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel[5], Star Wars[6], and Star Trek[7] releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV[8], and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who[9].
References
- ^ KPop Demon Hunters (gizmodo.com)
- ^ massive Netflix hit (gizmodo.com)
- ^ dominate pop culture (gizmodo.com)
- ^ trapped in Rumi’s (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ Marvel (gizmodo.com)
- ^ Star Wars (gizmodo.com)
- ^ Star Trek (gizmodo.com)
- ^ DC Universe on film and TV (gizmodo.com)
- ^ Doctor Who (gizmodo.com)