Okay, I need to talk about something that’s got me seriously excited. Today, May 1, 2025, I came across an interview Robert Rodriguez did with Joe Rogan on PowerfulJRE, and he dropped the kind of news Alita: Battle Angel fans like me have been dreaming of for years. Rodriguez said, “Alita’s journey in the Iron City is far from over,” and straight-up admitted he wants to make a sequel. I’ve been holding onto hope for more of Alita’s story since the first movie blew me away in 2019, and this update feels like a big step forward. Let’s unpack what he said and why I’m so hyped—but also trying not to get my hopes up too much.
Why This News Hits So Hard
If you haven’t seen Alita: Battle Angel, you’re missing out. The 2019 film, based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga Battle Angel Alita, is set in this gritty, futuristic Iron City where Alita (Rosa Salazar), a cyborg with no memory, wakes up and starts uncovering her past as a badass warrior. She gets into crazy fights, plays this intense sport called Motorball—it’s like Rollerball but with cyborgs—and falls for a guy named Hugo while taking on some seriously shady enemies. The movie ended on a total cliffhanger, with Alita ready to take on the big bad, Nova (played by Edward Norton in a quick cameo), up in the sky city of Zalem. It left me dying for more, but for a long time, it seemed like we’d never get it.
The first film did pretty well, making $405 million worldwide on a $170 million budget, which makes it Rodriguez’s biggest box office hit ever. Fans loved it—I mean, it’s got a 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, even if critics were more mixed at 61%. But after Disney bought 20th Century Fox in 2019, the studio behind the movie, things got messy. Rodriguez and James Cameron, who co-wrote and produced the film, weren’t sure Disney would want a gritty sci-fi flick in their family-friendly lineup. Christoph Waltz, who played Alita’s mentor Dr. Dyson Ido, even said in 2020 that he hadn’t heard anything about a sequel and thought it wasn’t happening. I was crushed, but I never gave up hope—neither did the “Alita Army,” the super dedicated fanbase that’s been campaigning for a sequel ever since.
Rodriguez’s Big Update
So, hearing Rodriguez say Alita’s story isn’t over feels like a huge win. In the interview, he mentioned that 20th Century Studios, now under Disney, is starting to greenlight new projects, which could mean there’s finally room for a sequel. He and Cameron have enough material from the manga to make not just one but two more movies, which is so exciting to think about. Producer Jon Landau has been pushing for a sequel too—he said in 2022 that he’s been talking with Rodriguez about it, though nothing was set in stone. Cameron even confirmed in July 2023 that he’s working on new Alita stuff in Austin, alongside his Avatar projects. It’s starting to feel real, you know?
Rodriguez has actually credited the Alita Army for keeping the dream alive—in a 2023 interview with The Wrap, he said the studios have definitely noticed the fan support. With Disney+ around, there’s a chance this could land as a streaming project if a theatrical release doesn’t work out. Either way, I just want to see Alita back in action.
What Makes Alita So Special
I love Alita: Battle Angel for so many reasons. The visuals are incredible—Alita’s big, expressive eyes were a little weird at first, but they made her feel so human, even as a cyborg. The action scenes, like her Motorball matches, had me on the edge of my seat. But what really got me was Alita herself. Her journey of figuring out who she is, balancing her human emotions with her cyborg body, hit me hard. Plus, Iron City felt so real—Rodriguez made it this vibrant, Latin American-inspired place (it’s set in Panama City instead of the manga’s Kansas City), and that cultural touch made the world feel so alive.
There’s so much more to explore in a sequel. The manga has 30 books, and the first movie barely scratched the surface. We could see more of Alita’s Motorball career, her big fight with Nova, or even new characters like the ones teased by Michelle Rodriguez and Jai Courtney’s cameos. Rodriguez is great at mixing action with heart—I still get emotional thinking about Alita and Hugo’s romance—and I’d love to see him bring that to another movie.
Why I’m a Little Worried
I’m trying not to get too carried away, though. Cameron’s schedule is insane with the Avatar sequels—the next one isn’t out until 2026, and Avatar 5 is set for 2028. That could push Alita back if he’s heavily involved. Disney’s focus is another thing. They’re known for family-friendly stuff, and Alita is pretty intense—maybe too intense for their usual brand. Streaming on Disney+ could be an option, like Rodriguez has mentioned before, but I really want to see Alita on the big screen again. The first movie’s spectacle deserves that.
I also wonder if they can fix some of the first film’s issues. Some people thought the emotional stuff felt a bit shallow, even if the action was awesome. A sequel would need to dig deeper into Alita’s inner struggles and make her fight with Nova feel super high-stakes. Rodriguez and Cameron have the material to make it amazing, but they’ll need to get the balance right.
Crossing My Fingers for More
For now, Rodriguez’s words are giving me life. He’s so passionate about this project, and with Cameron and Landau on board, I feel like we’re closer than ever to Alita: Battle Angel 2. Whether it’s in theaters or on Disney+, I just want to see Alita raise her sword again and take on Zalem. If you’re waiting for more news like I am, you can stream the first movie on Hulu or Fubo—it still holds up so well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this sequel happens soon. Alita’s journey deserves to keep going, and I can’t wait to see where it takes her next. Are you as pumped as I am for a potential sequel? Let me know what you think!
