While it's great news that a Pacific Rim sequel is happening at all after looking kinda bleak for a minute, not having the original cast return was very disappointing. Or at least that's how it has appeared. No, Charlie Hunnam definitely isn't coming back, but it does appear that Rinko Kikuchi is back in the fold as Mako Mori, and that's all that matters to me. Oh, and everybody's two dorky scientists have been confirmed to return, as well, along with a brand new addition with plenty of franchise experience.
Pacific Rim: Uprising cinematographer Dan Mindel dropped an image on his Instagram that features some of the film's cast and their characters. Among them are Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman as Newt and Gotlieb, plus Star Trek's Karl Urban as a character named Quan. They join the previously confirmed John Boyega, Cailee Spaeny, Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, and Adria Arjona. Day and Gorman had been rumored to return a couple of years ago but this is the first confirmation. They were a big chunk of the comic relief so to not have them would have been a huge loss.
No details on Urban's character are available, but he seems like the type to play another tough as nails commander like Idris Elba did in the first movie. If only he could be Judge Dredd. >sigh<
Pacific Rim: Uprising opens February 23rd 2018, directed by Steven S. DeKnight.
