10 Ways Carry-On’s Ending Sets Up A Sequel

When Carry-On streamed over the Christmas period, it might have received mixed reviews but clearly sets up a sequel, which may be on the cards. The cast of Carry-On includes Kingsman star Taron Egerton in the lead role, and Jason Bateman and Sons of Anarchy‘s Theo Rossi as its nameless main villains. Carry-On‘s reviews have been varied, with the movie getting a high critical rating but low audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, this has not had an impact on viewing figures, with Carry-On set to break streaming records by becoming one of Netflix’s most-watched movies of all time.

The story of Carry-On has been compared to Die Hard, as both are action thrillers about a cop finding himself at the center of a deadly plot. In Carry-On, the newly-promoted Ethan is tasked with getting a terrifying real-life weapon onto a plane, through instructions from a man known only as The Traveler. While The Traveler does not fall Hans Gruber-style from a high building, Carry-On‘s ending ensures that he will not be back to cause more problems. That said, there are many plot holes and loose ends in Carry-On for a sequel to wrap up.

10

The Blue-Haired Women Is Never Explained

The Traveler’s Mysterious Helper Appears To Vanish

Untitled design-230

Carry-On has several villains, and one of them is never properly accounted for. The blue-haired woman is first seen giving Ethan the earpiece, before he realizes that there is anything suspicious going on. By the time he begins talking to The Traveler, she has already passed through security. We see her again later when she gives The Traveler the parachute that he intends to use to escape the doomed plane, but she appears to vanish into thin air afterward.

This blue-haired woman is Carry-On‘s biggest loose end, and she may be central to a sequel. As The Traveler and his group have already forced regular people like Ethan and Mateo to participate in the plot to get the weapon onto the plane, it is possible that she is another innocent person. On the other hand, she may be one of the core members of the group. A Carry-On sequel should give viewers some answers.

9

Ethan’s New Job Has Potential For A Sequel

Ethan Becomes A Cop, Which Could Give Him New Skills

Taron Egerton and the airport security in Carry-On

Custom image by TC Phillips

Ethan wanted to join the police academy but was turned down for lying on his polygraph test. Ethan’s failed polygraph test is a major plot point in Carry-On, as he is too ashamed to tell his girlfriend why he didn’t get accepted into the academy but is forced to tell The Traveler. The ending of Carry-On shows that Ethan got a second chance, with him placing his police badge in the tray when he goes through airport security.

Ethan is already intelligent and inventive, but being a cop would give him new skills that he could use in a Carry-On sequel. Just as Die Hard‘s John McClane used the knowledge he had gained while being a cop, Ethan could now have access to unsolved cases and weaponry. A Carry-On sequel could put Ethan back in conflict with The Traveler’s associates, giving him new ways to prevent another attack, or even take the entire group down.

8

Carry-On 2 Could Set Up Jesse’s Revenge

After Mateo Was Killed, Jesse Could Go On A Revenge Mission

Mateo and Ethan in Carry-On

Mateo Flores appeared to be an associate of The Traveler, but he and Ethan briefly became allies when Ethan found that Mateo was another regular person. The Watcher was keeping Mateo’s husband, Jesse, captive in the Ready Teddy van and was using him as leverage to force Mateo to comply. However, after Mateo was killed in the operation, Jesse demonstrated an interesting skill, shooting The Watcher with his own sniper rifle.

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Of all the deaths in Carry-On, Mateo’s is one of the saddest, and we know little about his life and husband. Jesse’s ability to shoot accurately even after a stressful and likely painful ordeal is a detail that Carry-On 2 could explore. With Mateo gone and Jesse confirmed to be able to shoot, a Carry-On sequel could take the form of a revenge mission for Jesse. This would be an unexpected path to take, and a good chance for an action movie to center a gay character.

7

A Carry-On Sequel Could Focus On Ethan And Jason

Jason’s Trust For Ethan Could Be A Significant Plot Point

Carry-On Sinqua Walls

Ethan was not The Traveler’s first choice of target, and when Jason was put back on the job, Ethan’s desperate measures to save his friend led to him getting fired. As Jason and his family appear to be joining Ethan and Nora on holiday to Tahiti at the end of Carry-On, Ethan must have been able to explain his actions. As Carry-On ended in the same airport as it began, this would be the perfect point to begin a sequel, with a new character dynamic for Ethan and Jason.

With Ethan appearing to betray Jason while actually saving his life, a sequel that starred the two would have to focus on their new character dynamic. Ethan could appear to do something strange or dangerous, with Jason choosing to trust him based on the events of Carry-On. A Carry-On sequel could explore Jason’s background more, with him and Ethan combining their skills to take down a different threat or bring The Traveler’s original group to justice.

6

The Novichok Is Still On The Plane

The Weapon Appears To Be Safe But That Might Not Be The Case

Carry-On novichok

The Traveler’s terrifying weapon in Carry-On is based on a real-life substance. Novichok is a Russian nerve agent which has been associated with deaths since around 1995. It can be a liquid or a solid, and while it is supposed to be safer to handle than other weapons, it is also extremely dangerous, as seen in Carry-On. Novichok is one of the deadliest nerve agents in existence, and so the fact that Carry-On does not show the remaining canister being removed could set up the premise for a sequel.

It is presumed that the remaining Novichok will be taken away and destroyed after the events of Carry-On, but this is not shown to have happened. As the movie established that the villains have even infiltrated the police, it is possible that somebody among the cleanup crew or investigating agents could take it. This could introduce a new character to a Carry-On sequel and establish just how influential The Traveler’s group (or his employer) is.

5

Ethan’s Father’s Crime Could Be Explained

As An Uber Driver, He Could Be Significant In Carry-On 2

Carry-On Ethan driving to the plane

Ethan lied on the polygraph test at his police academy interview when he said that he has never witnessed a crime that he didn’t report. This was to protect his father, who he knew had stolen money. Later, it appears that his father also failed the police academy training for lying on the polygraph, and he is now an Uber driver. This sets up several questions about Ethan’s father, and could give him a key role in Carry-On 2.

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Taron Egerton Carry-On Interview

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While The Traveler makes several assumptions about Ethan’s father, it is not shown whether or not he is correct. It is possible that Ethan’s father committed the small-time theft that The Traveler suspects, but it is also possible that his crimes were more extensive than either knew. A Carry-On sequel could introduce audiences to Ethan’s father and show him to be a professional criminal, an undercover cop pretending to be an Uber driver, or even give him redemption by showing him helping Ethan to defeat a threat.

4

Ethan And Nora Have Not Yet Achieved Their Goal

The Two Might Not Reach Tahiti For A While

Carry-On Nora with the laser dot on her forehead

Nora and Ethan establish early on that they want to go to Tahiti. Though they had planned to get their plane after the two finished work that Christmas Eve, the plan is changed by the events of the movie. While the ending of Carry-On implies that Ethan, Nora, Jason and their children all go to Tahiti together, the movie ends at the baggage check. This leaves a lot of room for their plans to change.

A Carry-On sequel could see the group discovering another threat in the airport, or even on a plane to Tahiti. With so much potential for explosive action, many action movies take place in airports or on airplanes, so Carry-On 2 doesn’t necessarily need to change its setting. A longer wait to see Ethan and Nora finally reach Tahiti could make it more satisfying when they finally arrive (unless there’s a Carry-On 3 set in Tahiti, which could also happen.)

3

Olek Is Not Mentioned, And This Could Become Significant

Carry-On’s First Death Is Still Unsolved

Olek in Carry-On

Olek’s death is one of the biggest plot holes in Carry-On, and it is still one of the more mysterious scenarios in the movie. The Traveler makes a deal with Olek, swapping his bag of cash for the keys to a car, which contains the Novichok. When Olek opens the bag, something in it immediately becomes deadly, as he begins to cough up blood, dying almost immediately. The Traveler kills Olek’s nephew and sets fire to the greenhouse, leaving a few unsolved mysteries behind him.

The exact method of Olek’s death is not the only loose end that Carry-On‘s first scene leaves open. The ending of the movie does not address the individuals responsible for the Novichok, or the people who hired The Traveler. While Olek’s nephew is dead, they could have employers, colleagues, and even family members with unfinished business. The Traveler is dangerous enough, but a Carry-On sequel could bring in characters that make him look harmless by comparison.

2

Who Was The Traveler?

Carry-On’s Mysterious “Fixer” Is Still An Enigma

Carry-On Traveler on the plane

Jason Bateman’s great villain performance in Carry-On is one of the best things about the movie, with Bateman switching from being disarmingly friendly to sinister and formidable, often within a single scene. Still, while he explains his job as a fixer and demonstrates people-reading skills as he psychoanalyzes Ethan, there is very little known about him. The Traveler’s real name is not even known, yet he somehow manages to pass security.

Taron Egerton as Ethan Kopek in Carry-On.

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The Traveler is confirmed to be dead after Ethan locks him into an airtight fridge with half of the Novichok. That said, Bateman’s performance is so good that a Carry-On sequel could easily include flashback scenes where we learn more about the mysterious character. The Traveler tells Ethan that he has a family who do not know what he does for a living, which means that Ethan could have some awkward conversations if they appear in Carry-On 2.

1

The X-Rays In The Credits Could Provide Some Clues

From Boots To Dinosaurs, Carry-On 2 Could Use Something From The Carry-On Credits

X-ray police badge in Carry-on

The Carry-On credits show several items going through the baggage check at the airports, with things like laptop keyboards, boots, and even toy dinosaurs passing through. If Carry-On 2 was to be made, then the things shown in the credits could provide some Easter eggs for viewers to spot, especially if any of them were to have a significant role in the sequel. Some of the items could belong to Ethan’s group, but the credits also reference more sinister-looking things.

Among the mundane objects like hairbrushes and Christmas gifts that are shown in the credits, there appears to be a bomb with a timer counting down, a bag full of banknotes, and weapons. These could reference events from earlier in the movie, but they could also be clues to a Carry-On sequel. If Carry-On 2 referenced the first movie, this could start a franchise tradition, with Carry-On movies becoming as much a Christmas staple as the Die Hard movies.

Carry-On Official Poster

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Carry-On

PG-13
ActionDramaMysteryThriller

Carry On is a film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, focusing on a young TSA agent who is coerced by a mysterious traveler into allowing a dangerous package onto a Christmas Eve flight. As events unfold, he must use his wits to resolve the perilous situation.

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*Availability in US

Release Date

December 13, 2024

Main Genre

Action

Cast

Taron Egerton
, Jason Bateman
, Sofia Carson
, Danielle Deadwyler
, Tonatiuh
, Theo Rossi
, Logan Marshall-Green
, Dean Norris
, Sinqua Walls
, Curtiss Cook
, Joe Williamson
, Gil Perez-Abraham
, Josh Brener
, Benito Martinez
, Edwin Kho
, Reisha Reynolds
, Adam Stephenson
, Michael Scott
, Jeff Pope
, Raymond Rehage

Runtime

119 Minutes

Director

Jaume Collet-Serra

Writers

Michael Green
, T.J. Fixman

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