It’s the perfect time to get even more excited for the fall season because we have gotten some new updates for Coco 2! During D23, we got plenty of amazing announcements, and this one, I think, was one of the most anticipated due to how far away the release date of Coco 2 is. Now, I know everyone keeps talking about how they don’t want any more sequels or live-action remakes, but I feel like this movie deserves a sequel. Yes, the first Coco had a beautiful ending, but I think it’s a nice idea to see how more could be added to the story, especially since I have some questions that weren’t fully answered in the first movie. As a Latina myself, I really love to see Latino culture represented, and the first Coco movie has a special place in my heart, especially because it portrays that family is very important to us Latinos. I am so excited that we will officially be going back to the Land of the Dead and these updates really got me more hyped for the movie!
First and foremost, we got to see the designs for Coco 2 and a lot of people online are talking about it. We got a first look at Miguel’s new look in the movie, which is expected since he will be older. If you look online, you will see that they kept similar parts of Miguel’s illustration from the first movie to show that even though he is older, he’s still the character we grew to love. He still has his signature red on, but now he has a jacket like a lot of teenage boys would get in their designs. What really got people talking is how he got a new haircut because people are claiming that in Mexican culture, boys don’t have that hairstyle. However, a lot of people are claiming that the boys in their family do. I find this to be an interesting topic to bring up because they’re trying to make Miguel look older, since he is clearly in his teenage years in the new movie. I really do like the new design that Miguel got because it’s simple and a good way to make him look older than he was in the first Coco movie. However, my favorite design that was shown to us was when Miguel reunites with Mama Coco. Miguel and Mama Coco had such a beautiful relationship in the first movie, so I think showing that design was a great move to give us a little hint about how Miguel and Mama Coco’s relationship will continue to grow, especially since he actually knew Mama Coco, so it will definitely be a more emotional reunion compared to his other family members in Coco.
Now, what I didn’t expect Disney to do is reveal who the villain for Coco 2 is going to be. We got one more design piece that shows how Miguel is really scared of the villain. That villain is none other than Ernesto de la Cruz! Yes, the same Ernesto de la Cruz who poisoned Hector just to steal his songs for fame. When I first saw this, I did have mixed feelings. I was surprised and interested that he is going to be the villain again because in the end of Coco, we see that his defeat was getting hit with a bell just like how he originally died, but never heard from him again besides seeing that nobody likes him anymore for his actions. On the other hand, I’m very curious as to why they are going to use him again as the villain, rather than create a new one. What I am hoping for is that we may get another villain because using the same villain isn’t the best idea in my opinion. This is unless they have a really good story for Coco 2. However, in a way, it does make sense that he would be back in part 2 because the whole Rivera family ruined his career, so of course he would want to get revenge. I do hope Disney knows what they are doing bringing Ernesto back and has a really good plot.
Honestly, I really am excited about this movie coming out! I think they are going in the right direction about how they would want to continue the story. It makes sense for Miguel to go back to the Land of the Dead to see what his family has been up to. We could hopefully get more info about if most of his family members died young or old because everyone in his family looks young, except for Mama Coco when she dies, so I really hope that is answered in the next film. I also want to get more background on Imelda and Hector’s relationship since they got back together at the end of Coco, so it would be nice to learn more about them. The main thing I expect is a big plot twist because they did amazing with that idea of Ernesto being bad at the end of the first movie. Coco 2 is a great way to learn more about Miguel’s family history which is why I support a lot of these sequels: to learn more and expand more ideas when it comes to these childhood movies. I cannot wait to go back to the beautiful Land of the Dead when Coco 2 hits theaters on Nov. 21, 2029, and I hope everyone will like the idea of Coco getting a sequel when Disney comes out with more content and information!