Years ago, Will Smith offered audiences a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world as the last survivor of a plague in New York City in his 2007 action-horror thriller, I Am Legend. Loosely adapted from Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, the film depicts a New York City devastated by a virus initially intended to cure cancer, which wipes out most of humanity and leaves Smith's character, Neville, as the last human with immunity. While fans are familiar with the film's ending, they are additionally aware that the theatrical conclusion was not the original one.

With a sequel in development for the film, the original alternative ending from I Am Legend is set to come back in the new installment.

At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Akiva Goldsman, the screenwriter for I Am Legend starring Will Smith, participated in the Producers on Producing panel hosted by Collider. When asked about projects that underwent significant changes during editing, Goldsman mentioned the 2007 thriller, noting that it was highly iterative of Richard Matheson’s novel and had several endings filmed. He revealed that the original ending, which became the alternate version, depicted Smith’s character surviving while humanity faced extinction.

The original ending, now available, was omitted from the theatrical cut because it was deemed too depressing and did not resonate well with test audiences. Consequently, a new ending was filmed where Smith’s character dies, leading to humanity’s survival, as it was considered a more uplifting conclusion. However, with many fans preferring the original ending for its alignment with the film's source material, it was revealed in 2023 via Deadline that the alternate ending would be considered canonical to explain Smith’s return in the sequel.

Will Smith Feels Like ‘I Am Legend’ as He Strolls Through a Day-Dreaming Post Apocalyptic Zurich

For those curious about the plot of the sequel, here is what has been known so far.

The full plot details for I Am Legend 2 have not yet been disclosed, but Akiva Goldsman, the screenwriter for the original and the upcoming sequel, hinted at some elements during a 2023 conversation with Deadline. Goldsman mentioned drawing inspiration from HBO's The Last of Us series and noted that the sequel will be set a few years after the events of the original I Am Legend.

Goldsman also disclosed in that conversation that the sequel will more closely adhere to the original novel. By incorporating the alternate ending of I Am Legend, he aims to create a more faithful adaptation than the first film. With this teaser generating excitement among fans and discussions underway with Steven Caple Jr. as a potential director, thus, there are plenty of reasons to anticipate the sequel.

"I think we're going to..."- Will Smith Gives a Peek Into His and Michael B. Jordan’s 'I Am Legend' Sequel Plans

Are you excited about the original ending of the Will Smith-led I Am Legend making its way to the sequel? Let us know in the comments below!