‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’ Star Ryan Reynolds Reveals Why He Didn’t Initially ‘See a Sequel Coming’

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard lands on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, and to celebrate its release we have some sneak peek details from the home video release’s special features. In one of the behind-the-scenes featurettes, film star Ryan Reynolds shares how he did not initially “see a sequel coming” for the original 2017 film, The Hitman’s Bodyguard. He later praises the new movie for its “wild elements” that evolved from its predecessor.

“Did I see a sequel coming for The Hitman’s Bodyguard? I didn’t because that movie was a bit of a Hail Mary when we were making it,” Reynolds said in the featurette Gone Soft: The New Michael Bryce. “It just felt like the right time for an action-comedy like that.” Going on to speak about The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Reynolds added: “Sometimes a sequel will just sort of exploit all the great things about the first movie and then reiterate them again, but this movie doesn’t do that. It, sort of, hijacks the tone and the sentiment in a great way, which gives life to so many more new and wild elements.”

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard takes place four years after The Hitman’s Bodyguard and reunites Reynolds, with his co-stars, Salma Hayek and Samuel L. Jackson. The trio continues to kill on-screen, both with laughs and with whatever weapons they get their hands on. Richard E. Grant returns as well, and the four of them are joined this time around by Frank Grillo (Captian America: The Winter Soldier), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy), Antonio Banderas (Desperado), and Morgan Freeman (Angel Has Fallen). The sequel is directed by Patrick Hughes — who also directed the first film — from a script by Tom O’Connor, Brandon Murphy, and Phillip Murphy.

Filming for The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard began back in March 2019. It was originally set to be released on Aug. 28, 2020, but due to mass theater closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back a year. The initial reschedule would have seen the movie open on Aug. 20, 2021, but Lionsgate moved it up, and theater-goers were able to experience the movie starting on June 16. Now, fans everywhere have the option of bringing home all the action and laughs on home video, as The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is available to purchase in-store and digital retailers.