Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham Reveal Their Wishlist For A Potential Dispatch 2 [Exclusive]

by

Wow, Critical Role has blown up over the last decade! What started as a group of friends playing Dungeons & Dragons has become this huge fantasy world with amazing stories, funny moments, and genuinely emotional stuff. I’m still watching Campaign 4 with Brennan Lee Mulligan as the DM – he’s fantastic! And it’s not just the show anymore; the animated adaptations of past campaigns, like The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein, are really popular on Prime Video. They’re even getting into game development now, and their first game, Dispatch, was a total surprise hit last year. It’s awesome to see them expanding in so many cool ways!

Although there hasn’t been an official announcement, the cast of Critical Role is optimistic about continuing the series and have discussed potential storylines. Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey shared their ideas for the future during an interview with ComicBook at the LVLUP Expo in Las Vegas.

I understand you can’t share official details about a possible Dispatch 2, since it hasn’t been confirmed yet. But if a sequel were to happen, what features or characters would you most like to see? Which characters would you want to focus on more?

Even during my first playthrough before the game’s release, I immediately wondered how expansive the world was and if the developers, Ad Hoc, had plans to expand on it. They seemed surprised by my question! They did say they intended to, of course, but I haven’t heard any updates about a possible Dispatch 2 or when it might happen.

Okay, so they’re still building things out, and that takes time, which is fine. But honestly, I’m really craving more of the messy, chaotic stuff – seeing Malevola and Punch-Up clash would be awesome! I really enjoyed the little hints we got about their backstories, and I’m dying to know more. Where did they even come from? What made them end up involved with the SDN in the first place? I want to understand their origins!

I’d really love to see a romantic storyline between Malevola and Sonar! I’m also a big fan of Water Boy and would love to see more of that character, plus more Roid, too.

Travis Willingham explained that Roid really drew him into the game, especially the first two chapters. He specifically remembers being captivated by a scene in the bathroom and immediately messaging the Ad Hoc team to emphasize how important it was to protect Roid. He also expressed interest in learning more about the Ad Hoc team structure, noting that Phenomaman had been transferred from another part of the SDN and wanting to see how other teams operate.

Yeah, we’re looking at the main team, following either the junior varsity or, well, the troublemakers. It could be really fun to pit the underdogs against the experienced players – a classic matchup of those who struggle versus the pros.

We continue our conversation with Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey, where we talked about what’s coming up in future seasons of The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein. We also shared our thoughts on how much fun Critical Role’s current campaign is, and celebrated the success of the recent charity stream.

CB: The trailer for Season 4 of The Legend of Vox Machina just dropped, and it looks great.

Okay, so we just got our first look at what’s coming up, and honestly, I’m so excited! They showed Taryon Darrington, and he looks absolutely fantastic – seriously, a beautiful and lovely addition to everything!

Laura Bailey expressed her excitement, describing the show as beautiful and constantly improving with each season. She noted that the show’s visuals become more polished and the action sequences more inventive over time.

We’re incredibly fortunate to work with such a talented animation team. They consistently deliver stunning visuals, and each season, their work gets even better – the shading is improved, and the action sequences are more dynamic and exciting.

Season four is leading up to the already-announced fifth and final season. How does it feel to see the show nearing its conclusion, particularly while at an event like LVLUP?

Wow, I hadn’t considered that! Now everyone’s going to start overthinking things and coming up with all sorts of theories. But I think that’s good – the trailer has just enough to really get people hyped up.

We carefully review the trailers, ensuring they offer intriguing glimpses of key moments and characters without spoiling the story. Our goal is to leave audiences with questions and wanting to see more.

Laura Bailey: June 3rd isn’t that far away!

We’ve got this season and the next one to wrap things up and deliver a really satisfying story and ending. We want it to be surprising and enjoyable for both longtime viewers and newcomers.

We’re aiming to offer something fresh and exciting, even for those already familiar with the story. We also want to include a few unexpected moments to keep everyone engaged.

We’re also working on Season 2 of The Mighty Nein! Can you give us a little hint about what’s coming up?

We were thrilled with how people reacted to the first season! It ended with Yasha joining the Mighty Nein in the tunnels beneath Rexxentrum, and we’ll definitely see what happens next. Season 2 is pretty much done, so it’s just a matter of when Amazon decides to release it, as they’ll determine the best timing based on their overall schedule.

Laura Bailey explained she wasn’t commenting because she couldn’t recall what information had been shared, and jokingly admitted she’d forgotten.

CB: Also, congrats on the Critical Role charity stream!

Thanks! Sam really delivered, but he was completely wiped afterwards – he slept for a full ten hours! We arrived in Las Vegas for the LVLUP Expo, and some of us went to a tiki bar, but he just wanted to order food and go straight to bed. He was asleep by 9 PM and didn’t wake up until 9 AM! He’s still recovering, and his voice is way lower than usual.

Travis Willingham praised the entire Critical Role team, especially Sam, for their incredible effort. He explained they had multiple teams working around the clock, with everyone, including Kirby Winslow and Ashley Middlebrook, pitching in. They even had emergency medical services on standby, something not usually present at Critical Role events, in case Sam needed help staying awake.

Campaign 4 is also proving to be really popular! What parts of this season have you enjoyed the most, and what do you think of how Brennan Lee Mulligan is leading the game?

Travis Willingham describes the world-building as incredibly detailed and immersive, with layers of rich history and lore constantly being revealed. He’s particularly impressed by the depth of detail within the different factions and the intricate plots unfolding behind the scenes. What he enjoys most is seeing how the three distinct groups – the soldiers, seekers, and schemers – each offer a unique perspective and dynamic, making the game constantly engaging and surprising. He finds it fun to observe the different approaches and interactions within each group.

I immediately connected with the story Brennan was telling. Even before we started playing, I loved the character of Thjazi and was thrilled to be involved. Brennan warned us the story would begin with Thjazi’s execution, but he also hinted there was a chance to prevent it, and I was convinced I could. I honestly thought if I rolled really well at key moments, I could save him and force Brennan to change the story! I really believed I had a good chance. But then Brennan proved me wrong, and Thjazi died, which was really upsetting! [Laughter]

It’s amazing playing with Brennan. With Matt Mercer, we used to try to surprise him, push the boundaries of his prepared world, and generally throw him off balance – we were always keeping him on his toes. But with Brennan, it’s completely different. Seeing his reaction is like opening an advent calendar – each choice unlocks something new and exciting. It feels like pure, childlike joy, like being in a candy store.

Laura Bailey loves seeing the moment when someone is so surprised their jaw drops and they need a moment to collect themselves – she finds it really satisfying.

Read More

2026-05-01 04:11