Rebel Moon Part 2: Netflix movie release date, trailer, cast, plot, and more

Rebel Moon Part 2's release is fast approaching. The second installment in Zack Snyder's new sci-fi franchise for Netflix will aim to deliver a grander, more cohesive spectacle than its predecessor, which wasn't universally adored by those who saw it.

If you haven't seen the first film yet, our Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire opinion piece is worth reading to see why it struggled to make an impact among critics and Netflix's global fanbase. Still, with a new trailer suggesting we're in for a more action-packed and (potentially) heart-wrenching ride in mid-April, one of 2024's new Netflix movies could prove to turn Rebel Moon's fortunes around.

Want to see the aforementioned trailer? You'll need to read on to do so. If you do, though, we can guarantee you'll learn a lot more about Rebel Moon Part Two: The Scargiver, including its official launch date, cast list, plot specifics, and the franchise's future. Full spoilers follow for Rebel Moon Part One.

Rebel Moon Part 2 release date

Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver will make its debut on the world's best streaming service on Friday, April 19. It might get a limited theatrical run, too, just like its predecessor did.

Youu'll be able to watch different cuts of Rebel Moon soon, too, with Snyder telling the I Minutemen podcast that Netflix is eyeing a simultaneous mid-2024 release for both films. That new claim comes two months after Snyder seemingly confirmed a mid-2024 release for Rebel Moon Part 1's director's cut.

Clearly, Snyder wants Rebel Moon's director's cuts to test your movie runtime limits – and that of the film's cast as well, with some of them expressing shock at the length of Rebel Moon's director's cut in an exclusive TechRadar chat last December.

Rebel Moon trailer

The official trailer for Rebel Moon Part 2 made its debut on March 18, and it teases an even bigger intergalactic battle than its forebear did.

Given A Child of Fire was lacking in the giant action set-piece stakes, The Scargiver seems like it'll make up for that oversight. Sure, we'll have to put with even more Snyder slow-mo shots, but that's a small price worth paying if Rebel Moon's second film delivers on the spectacle front.

Missed the first trailer, which showed off an incredible-looking war coming to Veldt's doorstep? Check it out below:

Rebel Moon confirmed cast

Here's the official cast list for Rebel Moon Part 2:

• Sofia Boutella as Kora 
• Djimon Hounsou as Titus 
• Ed Skrein as Atticus Noble 
• Michiel Huisman as Gunnar 
• Doona Bae as Nemesis 
• Anthony Hopkins as Jimmy 
• Staz Nair as Tarak 
• Fra Fee as Balisarius 
• Cleopatra Coleman as Devra Bloodaxe 
• Stuart Martin as Den
• Ingvar Sigurðsson as Hagen
• Alfonso Herrera as Cassius
• Cary Elwes as The King
• Rhian Rees as The Queen
• E. Duffy as Millius 
• Sky Yang as Aris
• Charlotte Maggi as Sam
• Ray Fisher as Darrian Bloodaxe 
• Stella Grace Fitzgerald as Princess Issa

Almost all of  Rebel Moon Part 1's cast will feature in its follow-up. The most curious inclusion of those listed above is Ray Fisher's Darrian, who died during A Child of Fire's climactic showdown with the Motherworld. He'll likely appear in a flashback sequence, though, as will Elwes, Rhees, and Fitzgerald – the trio being members of Motherworld's royal family who were assassinated before Balisarius installed himself as the galactic empire's tyrannical Grand Regent.

One individual who isn't returning is Charlie Hunnam's Kai, who betrayed Kora's group in Rebel Moon Part 1. He was killed by Huisman's Gunnar, with Snyder telling TechRadar it was "always the plan" to center its big plot twist on Kai ahead of his demise.

There could be new characters who feature in The Scargiver, but Netflix hasn't revealed who they might be, nor who may play them. We'll update this section if we learn of any new cast announcements.

Rebel Moon plot synopsis and speculation

Here's Rebel Moon Part 2's plot synopsis, courtesy of Netflix: "The Scargiver continues the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. 

"On the eve of their battle, the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made."

Rebel Moon's second entry, then, will primarily focus on Veldt's apparent last stand against the dictatorial Motherworld, which crushes any planets and civilizations that rebel against its authoritarian regime. Considering it'll be a true David versus Goliath-like story, we can expect Kora's plucky band of outcasts to try and defend their idyllic dwelling in the face of overwhelming odds.

With Rebel Moon Part 1 laying the foundations for all-out war on the fields of Veldt, it shouldn't take too long for its successor to get into the thick of the action. And it sounds like that'll be the case, with Rebel Moon's cast telling TechRadar "it's going to kick off" in all manner of ways in the "action-heavy" second part. In a chat with Total Film, Ed Skrein (who plays Atticus Noble) also revealed Snyder "wanted the second movie to feel like Dunkirk", so expect a barnstorming, frenetic installment when it arrives.

But The Scargiver won't be an uninterrupted two-hour bloodbath. As noted by its cast, Rebel Moon Part 2 will also be heavy on the backstory, with the likes of Titus, Tarak, Nemesis, and Kora opening up on their past lives and what's driving them to protect Veldt at all costs.

We should also learn more about the Imperium's deceased royal family through flashback sequences. The unnamed King and Queen were war-driven rulers of the galaxy-spanning realm but, as Kora revealed in A Child of Fire, Princess Issa – the King and Queen's only child, who Kora was the bodyguard of – was expected to usher in a new era that ended the Imperium's quest to laud it over the galaxy before her death. Hopefully, we'll find out when and why she was murdered alongside her parents, who was responsible (if it wasn't Balisarius, we'll be amazed), and how it impacted those working for the Imperium, including Kora, Titus, and Jimmy.

Speaking of Jimmy, the fan-favorite android will feature more heavily in Rebel Moon Part 2. He only had a bit-part role to play in A Child of Fire, but we suspect there's more to this rebellious robot than meets the eye – especially one who's becoming increasingly independent in spite of his elite soldier programming. The Scargiver's second trailer shows he'll take up arms to help defend Veldt, so we'll definitely see more of him this time around.

"Jimmy has a much bigger story in those extended cuts and certainly in the second movie," co-writer Kurt Johnstad told Variety. "It’s a little bit like Jimmy goes from this sentient robot to really becoming a little more human, and he goes a little feral. When everybody is being collected and the team is getting built, he’s running around in the woods being like a feral creature and hunting and sitting by the brook and catching fish and doing Jimmy things out in the woods, so that’s where the crown of antlers comes from."

Another big mystery surrounds Noble's return. He was seemingly killed by Kora in Part 1's finale, but he was resurrected by the Motherworld's advanced technology after speaking to Balisarius through some sort of astral realm. How was he brought back to life? Is Balisarius' consciousness the only part of him that's still alive on this astral plane, or is this where he lives? And what does Noble's return and Balisarius' desire for revenge mean for Kora and company?

"We know that Noble's alive and Belisarius has given him the task of finding his daughter [Kora] and bringing her back to him at all costs," Snyder told Entertainment Weekly (EW). "So the stakes have risen for the village from 'Hey, we want some of your grain' to now 'You’re harboring the most wanted fugitive in the history of the galaxy'... We learn something in Part Two about Kora's 'crimes', what she's wanted for, and why the Imperium is after her."

Will Netflix greenlight more Rebel Moon projects?

There's no word on whether more films will be announced by Netflix. As mentioned, we know we'll be getting R-rated extended cuts of Rebel Moon's first two movies. After that, it's anyone's guess, although The New York Times has claimed Rebel Moon's main story will be told across three movies, so it's possible another entry could be greenlit.

"The director’s cut is close to an hour of extra content, so I think it’s a legitimate extended universe version," Snyder told Netflix Tudum. "The director’s [cut] is a settle-in deep dive, which I have notoriously done throughout my career. 

"I don’t know how I got into this director’s cut thing, but what I will say about it is that, for me, the director’s cuts have always been something I had to fight for in the past and nobody wanted it. It was this bastard child that I was always trying to put together because they felt like there was a deeper version. And with Netflix, we shot scenes just for the director’s cut. So in that way, it’s really a revelation because it gives that second kick at the can for big fans, like a real discovery that they would not [otherwise] get."

Speaking to Total Film, Snyder revealed his ambitions to flesh out Rebel Moon's universe with other projects (Netflix permitting). An animated series, animated comic book (whatever that is), and a narrative-driven podcast are all thought to be in development. Meanwhile, a co-op action video game is coming from Super Evil Megacorp, which will join the already-released prequel comic series starring the Bloodaxes. More tie-in books, such as the companion tome revealed in this section's second tweet, are also coming soon. 

So, if you're looking to fully immerse yourself in Snyder's potentially massive multimedia series, you've got lots of content to consume between now and, well, whenever Snyder and Netflix run out of ideas. Well, providing the latter actually moves forward with any or all of the above, anyway.

For more Netflix-based coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, Arcane season 2, the best Netflix shows, and best Netflix documentaries.