Warning: contains SPOILERS for Smile 2!
Despite appearing in Smile 2Kyle Gallner’s Joel wasn’t the main character as many expected, and here’s why. Joel was the only main character to return from the first Smile film, and due to Kyle Gallner’s star power and role at the end of the original SmileHe was expected to be the protagonist of the sequel. However, Smile 2 instead, he decided to step away from the cast of the first film entirely. Smile and focus on a new protagonist named Skye Riley, with many wondering why Joel didn’t have a more significant role in the 2024 film.
Kyle Gallner’s character appears in the opening scene of Smile 2with him still having the Smiling Curse six days after the end of Smile. In an attempt to get rid of him, he tries to kill one drug dealer in front of another, hoping to pass the curse on. However, things go wrong when several other characters appear, causing Joel to flee the scene of the crime. While being chased by the other drug dealers, Joel is hit by an oncoming car and dies. This is the end of Joel’s role in Smile 2.
Parker Finn wanted Smile 2 to be completely different from Smile
Moving away from the original film
The reason why Joel wasn’t the main protagonist of Smile 2 is that director Parker Finn wanted the sequel to be completely different from the original Smile. The original Smile It’s a much smaller scale.focusing on doctors and police officers in a small town. Smile 2on the other hand, it’s set in a huge city and focuses on a world-famous pop star, with Skye Riley’s story on a much larger scale and completely raising the stakes. Both films have different tones, themes and styles, with the Smiling Entity being the only common aspect.
So Parker Finn can do both Smile completely different films, he had to leave the cast of the original Smile. While having a film with Joel as the protagonist could have been fun, it would have weighed heavily. Smile 2 down, forcing it to look more like the original Smile. Placing a few degrees of separation between Rose Cotter and Skye Riley was the right decision, as there were very few references to the events of the original. Smile outside of Morris’s appearance in Smile 2.
Skye Riley gave Smile 2 a blank slate to explore
Enabling a new kind of smile story
Making Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley the protagonist of Smile 2 it was the best choice, as it gave the film a completely blank canvas. Hypothetically, Parker Finn could have written Skye Riley to be any type of character he wanted without being restricted by the events and characters of the original film. To Smile 2 have its concert setting and themes of fame and pressure, Couldn’t have kept the original Smile castas this story doesn’t work for the characters that appeared in the first film.
On the other hand, if Smile 2 Had he made Joel the protagonist, it would have severely limited what Parker Finn could have done with the characters. Skye Riley being a blank slate is juxtaposed with Joel being a well-established character who has already had an entire film in development. Because of this, Parker Finn would have to remain consistent with Joel’s characterization in the first film, something he apparently didn’t want to do. Killing Joel and moving on was the perfect solution, allowing for a protagonist like Skye Riley to appear.
Joel still had to return for Smile 2
The Sequel Couldn’t Completely Leave Him Out
Although Skye Riley was the protagonist of Smile 2Joel still had to return in the sequel somehow. This is because the original Smile established that the Smiling Curse must be passed from one character to another. Since Joel was possessed by the Smile Entity at the end of the original film, there was no way Smile 2 could get around this, with the script having to find a way for the Smile Curse to travel from Joel to Skye Riley.
Since Joel was a fan-favorite character from the original Smilesome fans would also be upset if Kyle Gallner’s character didn’t return. Smile 2 found the right balance in trying to move forward, as one of the best scenes in the sequel is about Joel, but it’s also the only scene that features him.