Alita: Battle Angel 2: Plot, cast and everything we know so far about sequel so far

Released in 2019, Alita: Battle Angel blended live-action storytelling with high-tech motion capture CGI to adapt Yukito Kishiro's popular cyber-punk manga Gunnm — or Battle Angel Alita — for cinemas.

The end result was a sci-fi epic that boasted a starry cast and used some of the most advanced filmmaking techniques going — yet it ultimately became a movie that divided fans and critics.

Directed by Sin City’s Robert Rodriguez and produced by Avatar mastermind James Cameron, the film currently holds a 61% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, this ranking is counterbalanced by a much healthier 91% audience rating, proving that viewers enjoyed entering Rodriguez's world of cyborgs, battles and futuristic tech and want more.

It clearly had sequels on the brain too, with many characters and moments featured in part one specifically designed to pay off in future instalments.

So what’s happening with Alita: Battle Angel 2? Here’s everything we know about it so far.

Alita: Battle Angel 2 release date

Unfortunately, we don’t know when we can expect Alita: Battle Angel 2 to be released. However, considering the first movie was released via 20th Century Fox, it’s likely that we may be able to view it on Disney+ at some point in the future thanks to the Fox-Disney merger of 2019 — although, that too is unconfirmed.

Alita: Battle Angel 2 Plot

The first Alita: Battle Angel movie took us forward in time by a few centuries deep into a cyberpunk future that’s been left in ruins following a deadly war. Here, we find an abandoned cyborg — or Alita as they’re known here — with a part-human part-robot brain who is picked up and salvaged by the lonely Dr. Ido. (Christoph Waltz).

Upon reviving the cyborg, Ido names her Alita after his late daughter and discovers that she has no memory of her past or the world she currently finds herself in. As Alita is forced to endure the mean streets of Iron City, she attempts to learn more about her mysterious past and unusual place in a war-torn world. Soon, she discovers that her unique abilities have made her a coveted object by all the wrong people.

As it stands, no official plot or project synopsis has been revealed for Alita: Battle Angel 2 however, it’s likely that its story (and subsequent stories) will continue to pursue the elements laid out above, with Alita learning more about her dark past. Despite not knowing what this sequel might entail, Rodriguez has already confirmed that he and Cameron have planned out the next sequel and its follow-ups.

Read more: Avatar 3: Release date, plot, cast and everything we know so far

“[James Cameron] and I have been talking that we always wanted to do an Alita sequel,” he told Collider.

“He outlined, very thoroughly, a second and a third film, so there’s already material there.”

For a while, the sequel languished in limbo while Cameron worked away on his multiple Avatar sequels. However, in April 2023, original movie producer Jon Landau confirmed that the next movie was in active development with Rodriguez returning once more to direct Rosa Salazar, the actor who played Alita in the first film.

This was soon echoed by Cameron himself who confirmed to Forbes in July 2023 that he was busy working on more than one Alita: Battle Angel movie.

Alita: Battle Angel 2 cast

With the Alita: Battle Angel sequel still in early development, no official cast list has been announced besides Landau’s suggestion that series star Salazar will return as the film’s titular cyborg.

Part one had a number of big-name actors, including Christoph Waltz as Dr. Ido, Jennifer Connelly as his estranged wife and Mahershala Ali as a mysterious criminal. While each of these characters play key roles within the overall Alita plot, it’s unclear whether any of them will return for more action.

Rodriguez’s first film also featured a number of cameo appearances which were designed to be fleshed out in future instalments, including Edward Norton as big-bad Nova, Jai Courtney as a motorball champion and Michelle Rodriguez as Alita’s mentor and fellow cyborg Gelda.

Unfortunately, we don’t know whether any of these names will return to continue these brief roles.

Alita: Battle Angel 2 trailer

Until cameras start to roll — or actors don their motion capture pyjamas — there’s not going to be any footage available for Alita: Battle Angel 2.

Alita: Battle Angel 2 is coming soon.