8 Perfect Movie Endings Undone By Sequels

It’s frustrating how sequels are almost guaranteed these days. If a movie is profitable, Hollywood will inevitably make another one, even if it takes a while. Expanding on a good story isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but it’s all about how it’s done. Sometimes, continuing a story that had a powerful ending weakens that ending’s impact. We’ve seen this happen before – films with great conclusions followed by sequels that ultimately lessened their achievements.

Look, the sequels weren’t terrible, mostly. But they completely undid a really smart move the first movie made in its final act, and honestly, it felt like a big step backwards. It just didn’t make sense to me why they’d reverse course like that.

8) Avengers: Endgame

Although it hasn’t been released yet, a sequel to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame called Avengers: Doomsday is officially happening, and the first trailer reveals Chris Evans will reprise his role as Captain America. However, many fans question this decision, as Endgame gave Steve Rogers a well-deserved retirement and a happy life, something he was denied in the first Captain America movie. Moreover, the ending made it clear that what happened during his time away was meant to remain private.

There’s been talk that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is fixing problems with the timeline to prevent disasters, and Steve Rogers’ time travel in Endgame may have created one of those problems. If that’s true, the peaceful ending Steve received probably won’t last. Ultimately, Steve being back actually contradicts what made his ending so satisfying in the first place.

7) Kingsman: The Secret Service

Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service felt like the start of a promising franchise that would grow steadily. However, that’s not quite how things played out. While the Kingsman universe did expand with The Golden Circle and The King’s Man, the sequels weren’t as good – The King’s Man in particular was a difficult watch, especially considering Ralph Fiennes was in it.

A major shock in the first Kingsman film saw Harry Hart (Colin Firth) seemingly killed by the villain. This paved the way for his protégé, Eggsy (Taron Eggerton), to take on the mantle of Galahad. However, the sequel, The Golden Circle, unexpectedly brought Firth’s character back to life, diminishing the impact of his death and making it feel like a simple plot device. While the chemistry between Firth and Eggerton was a highlight of the first film, and understandably something the filmmakers wanted to recapture, bringing Hart back came at a cost. The movie focused so much on explaining his return that it sidelined Roxy Morton, a compelling character from the first film, treating her as unimportant. Ultimately, the sequel’s priorities were misplaced.

Stream Kingsman: The Secret Service on Hulu.

6) Logan

There couldn’t have been a more fitting end to Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine than with the film Logan. His character is completely disillusioned, at his lowest point, frequently numbing his pain with alcohol, and desperately searching for a way to find meaning again.

After finding redemption, the character dies, which felt like a fitting end after 17 years. However, Deadpool & Wolverine complicates that emotional impact. While it does bring Wolverine back, the film quickly establishes that the Logan who died in Logan remains deceased. This new Wolverine from the multiverse gets the chance to connect with X-23, the person who helped pull him out of his despair.

Stream Logan on Disney+.

5) Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi is somewhat uneven in its overall feel, shifting tones throughout the film. However, Ian McDiarmid delivers a fantastic performance as the villainous Emperor Palpatine. While he’s only briefly seen or talked about in the previous two Star Wars movies, Return of the Jedi finally reveals the source of Darth Vader’s fear and respect for him.

Bringing Ian McDiarmid back as Palpatine in the prequel trilogy worked brilliantly and improved those films looking back. However, his return in The Rise of Skywalker felt completely unexpected and didn’t seem to be part of the original plan. It felt like a reaction to the controversial narrative choices made in The Last Jedi. Ultimately, bringing Palpatine back diminished the impact of Darth Vader’s redemption and forced the story to stretch believability too far. The Emperor clearly died when he fell into the reactor shaft – the idea that his consciousness simply transferred to a waiting clone felt contrived.

Stream Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on Disney+.

4) Toy Story 3

I enjoyed Toy Story 4, it was definitely a fun movie, but honestly, it felt a little unnecessary. Toy Story 3 just had such a perfect ending – I really think it’s one of the best movie endings ever made. It felt so complete and final, and it was just beautiful, so it’s hard to feel like Toy Story 4 really needed to happen.

While the toys are central to the films, the story is really about Andy growing up. It appropriately ended when he passed on his toys – including his beloved Woody – to Bonnie. That moment marked Andy’s farewell to his childhood, and the toys, though sad, accepted that he needed to move on. It was a perfect conclusion to the series.

Stream Toy Story 3 on Disney+.

3) Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Following the success of Scream, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later offered what was intended to be the definitive end to the Michael Myers story. Laurie Strode finally believed she was safe after seemingly killing Michael by striking his head with an axe – a blow that was fatal, unlike the injuries seen in other horror films. It was a decisive ending; even Freddy Krueger would have trouble surviving that!

The Halloween series had built up a decent story, but Halloween: Resurrection completely ruined it, and in a really ridiculous way. The idea that Michael Myers would carefully injure a paramedic, steal their identity by putting on their mask, and leave them exactly where Laurie Strode had last been is just unbelievable. To make things worse, Resurrection then killed off Laurie Strode. It’s no surprise that even dedicated fans skip this movie when rewatching the entire series.

Stream Halloween H20: 20 Years Later on HBO Max.

2) Men in Black

Another reboot of Men in Black is supposedly in the works, but the sequels haven’t lived up to the original 1997 film. Frankly, there shouldn’t have been any sequels, especially not ones featuring Tommy Lee Jones.

The first Men in Black movie balances its focus between Agents J and K, but it’s ultimately Agent K’s story. The film begins with him taking down an alien disguised as a human and feeling burnt out, then follows his search for a former agent – a search that neither he nor that agent fully understands at the time. The movie concludes with K’s retirement. Bringing K back in Men in Black II, and giving him a weak storyline, undoes that satisfying ending. And frankly, if you’re going to reverse a character’s arc like that, it should be in a better movie – which Men in Black II definitely isn’t.

Stream Men in Black on Starz.

1) Alien 3

Although Alien 3 was initially considered a letdown, it’s now viewed more favorably thanks to the release of even poorer installments in the series. Even when it first came out, Ripley’s final scene was widely praised, and remains a standout moment not just for the film, but for the entire Alien franchise.

The character has already faced three dangerous creatures, so when she discovers one is inside her, she understands the corporation’s intentions all too well. Determined to prevent them from succeeding, she sacrifices herself. While Alien: Resurrection did bring Sigourney Weaver back, it wasn’t really Ripley – it was a version of her. Though Weaver was the face of the franchise previously, it was a worse creative choice to bring her back as a pale imitation of the character than it would have been to simply revive Ripley herself (which wouldn’t have been ideal either). Weaver does her best, but ultimately, Resurrection was a mistake and shouldn’t have been made.

Stream Alien 3 on Hulu.

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2025-12-21 01:15