The box office success of Uncharted 2022 paved the way for Mark Wahlberg to reprise Sully in the sequel, making it an important movie for him.
Uncharted 2 is Mark Wahlberg’s first sequel since 2017; previous works like Daddy’s Home 2 and Transformers failed to impress critics.
Uncharted 2 aims to end the mixed reception from critics Wahlberg’s sequels tend to receive.
Mark Wahlberg is returning as Sully for Uncharted 2, and the video game sequel breaks a surprising seven-year streak for the actor. Wahlberg spent many years trying to make an Uncharted video game movie where he would star as Nathan Drake, but the long development led to him switching roles as Tom Holland stepped into the lead.
Once the first movie finally arrived in 2022, it quickly became a massive box office hit, allowing Sony to announce that Uncharted 2 is happening. Details on the sequel’s story are still under wraps, but Wahlberg has confirmed his Sully is coming back.
Uncharted 2 represents a rather important movie in Mark Wahlberg’s career. The first movie’s success all but guaranteed that he would return, especially since Uncharted‘s ending finally saw him sport Sully’s signature mustache.
However, the actor also hinted at his potential retirement, drawing questions about whether Sully would need to be recast if Wahlberg did not come back. Those concerns are gone with Mark Wahlberg definitively factoring into Uncharted 2‘s plans. It also means the film will be responsible for breaking what is currently a seven-year streak.
Mark Walhberg as Sully in Uncharted next to Sully wearing a tuxedo in Uncharted 4© Provided by ScreenRant
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Mark Wahlberg’s Uncharted 2 Update Proves How The Sequel Is Already Fixing One Issue
After Uncharted’s mixed reception, Mark Wahlberg’s update on the sequel already proves that Uncharted 2 will attempt to fix one key issue.
Uncharted 2 Will Be Mark Wahlberg’s First Sequel Since 2017
He Had Two Sequels The Same Year
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It is somewhat surprising to note that Mark Wahlberg has not been in any sequels since 2017. The year saw him play the lead role in two sequels, Daddy’s Home 2 and Transformers: The Last Knight. Neither movie was well-received by critics or audiences, while box office receipts dropped for both installments compared to the prior entries in the respective franchises. Wahlberg has spent the years since the two disappointments starring in a mixture of smaller films and potential franchise starters. However, Uncharted 2 will be his first sequel since 2017 when it releases.
Although Mark Wahlberg was part of several franchises before Uncharted, all of them wrapped up by the time the video game adaptation came. Uncharted 2 is only Mark Wahlberg’s fourth sequel of his entire career. Ted 2 was his first in 2015, and then he doubled down on franchises in 2017 with Daddy’s Home and Transformers. After taking a break from these other franchises, Uncharted 2 is an opportunity for Mark Wahlberg to make another sequel at last. It’s a seven-year gap right now, but it could extend to eight or nine years by the time the sequel hits theaters.
Mark Wahlberg’s Transformers franchise debut in Transformers: Age of Extinction is a sequel to the original trilogy, but it was the first entry of a relaunch for the franchise starring him.
Uncharted 2 Can Break Mark Wahlberg’s Sequel Slump
His Sequels Have Never Hit
It’s unknown how intentional Mark Wahlberg’s sequel gap was, but Uncharted 2 could be the successful sequel he’s been searching for. All of Wahlberg’s previous sequels have received harsher reviews and did not perform as well at the box office. This can be seen through the box office totals and Rotten Tomatoes scores for each of the actor’s prior sequels.
Mark Wahlberg Sequels
Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Previous Film’s RT Scores
Box Office
Previous Film’s Box Office
Ted 2
44% Critics / 50% Audience
68% Critics / 73% Audience
$215.9 Million
$549.4 Million
Transformers: The Last Knight
16% Critics / 43% Audience
18% Critics / 50% Audience
$605.4 Million
$1.1 Billion
Daddy’s Home 2
30% Critics / 49% Audience
21% Critics / 51% Audience
$180.6 Million
$242.8 Million
If there was ever a sequel that could help Mark Wahlberg’s curse, Uncharted 2 should be it. There is room for the sequel to have a much stronger critical response after Uncharted‘s 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, even if the 90% Audience score will be tougher to beat. Meanwhile, the $407 million box office performance could be topped with more action, bigger co-stars, and more favorable release conditions. That should make Uncharted 2 a great choice for Mark Wahlberg to break his sequel drought.