Twisted Metal Season 2 is coming back to Peaco*ck; however, when it will be released is still a major question.
Based on PlayStation's beloved series of car combat video games, the Twisted Metal series took the blood and chrome-filled digital world of the franchise and put it on-screen.
While featuring iconic Twisted Metal characters like Sweet Tooth the Clown and Agent Stone, the series focused on a wholly new protagonist, an amnesiac milkman named John Doe (played by Anthony Mackie).
Several months after Season 1 streamed on Peaco*ck in July 2023, a second batch of episodes was given the rubberstamp by the Universal-owned streamer.
The news came in December of the same year (via Deadline), when star Anthony Mackie appeared on stage at the annual Game Awards to publicly announce a sophom*ore effort for the blood-tinged comedy.
This was followed up by a statement from writer and executive producer Michael Jonathan Smith who said he was "beyond thankful we get to continue the story:"
"I have to give a Sweet Tooth-sized thank you to our incredible fans – I read every comment and was so blown away by everyone’s love, support, and rabid enthusiasm for a paper bag. We are beyond thankful we get to continue the story of John Doe, Quiet, and Sweet Tooth as they face off against familiar faces and new grim foes in the long-awaited Twisted Metal tournament. The mixtape is made, and I’m thrilled to get back on the road with our stellar cast and crew."
Smith then told NBC a few days after the announcement, "The [writers'] room has started" for the series' return, but did not offer any specifics beyond that:
"The [writers'] room has started. We have an amazing team of writers and we're discussing the arc of the season and what the first episode might be, looking at the big picture. I'm really excited."
While no release date for Season 2 is known, should it follow a similar production schedule to the first, fans may be able to predict when it will come out.
Season 1 was first announced in February 2022 (after several years of development), before getting in front of cameras three months later in May.
The series would then finally make its Peaco*ck debut 14 months after it started filming on July 27, 2023.
Using this as a loose template, Season 2 may not be that far away.
Of course, things have already been mixed up with production on Season 2 not starting as quickly after its reveal. That is simply because there had been so much writing work done before Season 1's official announcement, giving it a bit of a head-start.
Assuming writing on Season 2 takes six to eight months, that means filming could start sometime in the fall of 2024.
If it were to hit that production start, then a release in late 2025 feels likely.
Twisted Metal Season 2 has yet to receive an official release window.
Who Will Be in the Twisted Metal Cast?
Twisted Metal Season 2 is expected to feature several characters from the first season as well as a couple of new names that will surely turn heads when they make their proper debut.
Leading the cast yet again as the post-apocalyptic wheelman John Doe will be Captain America actor Anthony Mackie. Seeing as Mackie is not only the leading star but an executive producer on the project, it would make sense that as long as the pedal-to-the-medal action-comedy is ongoing, he will be a part of it.
It has also been confirmed John's close compatriot in his foul-mouthed adventure Quiet (played by Brooklyn 99's Stephanie Beatriz) will return, along with the combo of Samoa Joe and Will Arnett embodying the menacing clown, Sweet Tooth.
Also, the overbearing Raven (Neve Campbell) has been rumored to be back as well.
As for new faces making their presence felt in the series' second season, a couple have been detailed by the Twisted Metal creative team.
Appearing as a tease in the Season 1 finale is the dastardly Dollface from the Twisted Metal video games. No actor has been attached to the character yet, but showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith has assured fans it will be a big name.
Two other characters from the games confirmed to join the fun in Season 2 are Mr. Grimm and Axel.
Smith told NBC, "[Mr. Grimm is his] favorite," and he is excited to bring the motorbike-riding grim reaper to life on screen:
"[Mr. Grimm is favorite and I'm excited to capture what the fans are excited about seeing, but also [answer the question of]: 'How does he exist in the world we've set up? I think there's just going to be a lot of fun with him — what kind of character he is in this world and how does he interact with people like Sweet Tooth?"
As for Axel, who is known for driving a vehicle made up of two massive wheels that are connected to a bar above his head, Smith said, "We have to get Axel right," given his inherently goofy design.
Casting for Mr. Grimm or Axel has not yet been made public.
Below is a full list of expected characters and actors in Twisted Metal Season 2:
- John Doe - Anthony Mackie
- Quiet - Stephanie Beatriz
- Samoa Joe/Will Arnett - Sweet Tooth
- Raven - Neve Campbell
- Dollface - Not yet cast
- Mr. Grimm - Not yet cast
- Axel - Not yet cast
Heading into Season 2 of Twisted Metal, it seems the series is set for a head-on collision with what fans have been waiting for from the video game adaptation.
While Season 1 did a serviceable job setting up the world and characters, it lacked one curial element of the Twisted Metal franchise: its iconic car combat tournament.
Well, Season 2 looks as though it is going to fix that, as the call for drivers has been put out.
Writer Michael Jonathan Smith teased the tournament coming into play in the second batch of episodes in his December 2023 interview with NBC.
He said after introducing the show's charismatic cast of characters in Season 1, it is "gonna be fun to put them all in a [single] place at the tournament" and have them bound off each other:
"I'm excited for fans to see these characters come to life and see what makes them funny and what makes them heartbroken. I think it's gonna be fun to dive into these people ... We introduced a lot of these characters — Preacher, Bloody Mary, John, Quiet, Watts — it's gonna be fun to put them all in a [single] place at the tournament and have them interact. I'm excited about seeing how does Preacher react to Bloody Mary? How does Grimm react to Sweet Tooth?’ There’s a lot of really fun, interconenctive character headspace stuff that I'm really excited to dive into. It feels like a new toy box."
When asked about plot specifics, Smith cryptically remarked that on his previous show Cobra Kai, there were "tournament seasons and consequence seasons," and Season 2 is the former:
"Here's what I'll say, on 'Cobra Kai,' there were very much tournament seasons and consequence seasons, and this is very much a tournament season. I want everything to feel like it's tied to the tournament, even if we aren't in the tournament yet. I am hopeful that it will surprise and delight those people who saw the finale of Episode 10 and was like, 'I want to see more of that in a tournament setting.' My goal is to capture that."
That will be an exciting prospect for fans who have wanted to see the franchise's central battle of the horsepower captured in the TV adaptation.
Twisted Metal is streaming now on Peaco*ck.
Read more about other video game adaptations:
Sonic 3 Movie: First Look at Shadow Gets Revealed
Fallout Season 2 Release: When Will It Come Out?
Will a Knuckles Movie Release After Sonic 3?
