Vin Diesel redefined his career by making mid-budget genre films that became big franchises. But while Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and The Fast and the Furious franchises are global hits, and the Riddick franchise is a cult-classic trilogy (which could still return!), Diesel wasn’t nearly as lucky with his 2015 fantasy-action-horror film, The Last Witch Hunter. Despite a budget that was upwards of $100 million (for marketing and production), a Halloween season release date, and Diesel being at the height of his fame in the 2010s, The Last Witch Hunter ultimately underperformed at the box office, taking in just $146.9 million worldwide.
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Summit and Lionsgate abandoned The Last Witch Hunter after the film stalled in theaters; however, Vin Diesel has been very vocal during production that he saw the film blowing out into an entire multimedia franchise. Well, we don’t know if The Last Witch Hunter universe will ever be a thing, but Diesel is now confirming that at least the franchise will be continuing!
The Last Witch Hunter Sequel Gets Title & Release Date
The Last Witch Hunter 2 will be titled The Lion’s Oath (or subtitled – it’s not yet clear, exactly). Vin Diesel posted that the film will be released in 2026, while also marking the 10th anniversary of the first film, and thanking fans for creating the opportunity for the sequel:
“Ten year anniversary! A decade ago, this weekend, Kaulder was first introduced… This year, you have resurrected him… The Lion’s Oath! 2026!”
The Last Witch Hunter followed Kaulder (Diesel), a warrior knight from Medieval times who was a member of the order of the “Axe and Cross”, which hunts down and kills witches. However, a showdown with the Witch Queen left Kaulder cursed with eternal life, denying him the death and spiritual reunion with his dead wife he’d been hoping for. 800 years later, now living a lonely life in the modern world, Kaulder stumbles upon a plot in the supernatural world to resurrect the Witch Queen, with certain corrupted elements of the Axe and Cross also working against Kaulder, the last of the once-great witch hunters.
It’s been ironic to see more recent franchises steeped in fandom and lore about immortals find success across multimedia spaces (like Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR), while The Last Witch Hunter failed. The film saw something of a minor resurgence when it was on Netflix earlier this year, so it seems like Vin Diesel and Co. are wisely trying to strike when the iron is hot (again). Obviously, there are a lot of unanswered questions now on the table – namely, whether or not other prominent cast members of the original film will return for the sequel.
The Last Witch Hunter 2 Could Be A Team Film
The end of The Last Witch Hunter saw the Witch Queen get slain (obviously), while Kaulder formed a new partnership with his fateful right-hand man, “Dolan 36th” (Michael Caine), and the ‘good witch’ that became his possible love interest, Chloe (Rose Leslie). The trio sought to rebuild the witch hunters outside of the Axe and Cross order’s influence; meanwhile, preserving Kaulder’s eternal life came at the cost of having to keep the Witch Queen’s heart alive, as well, held in Kaulder’s vault.
While Rose Leslie is still active in the industry, Michael Caine has largely retired. However, the “Dolan” character was already swapped out once in the first film (with Elijah Wood’s traitorous 37th aiding the Witch Queen), so that should be easy to do again. There are a lot of fun ways the story could go, from a prequel period piece film about Kaulder’s prior life, to a true direct sequel that continues with the new team; a combination of the two, or even a further jump in time (ten years into the future) where we find Kaulder living a very different life, giving the series a soft reboot of sorts.
Let us know what you want to see in The Last Witch Hunter 2: The Lion’s Oath when it is released in 2026. Come discuss with us on the ComicBook Forums.
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