M3GAN 2.0 is back – sassier, deadlier, and possibly more heroic than ever. Writer-director Gerard Johnstone returned to IGN Live 2025 with fresh insights and a brand-new clip from the highly anticipated sequel. The clip shows M3GAN cooling down with a towel after a fight training session. But… why would a robot need a towel? Johnstone laughed off the logic and clarified, “Because she can. Because she wants to.” That line alone sets the tone for M3GAN 2.0 – rule-breaking, self-aware, and dripping with attitude.
Johnstone also opened up about the inspiration behind M3GAN’s unforgettable voice, voiced by Jenna Davis with choreography from Amie Donald.
The director admitted they spent hours perfecting it with sound designer PK Hooker – and yes, comparisons to GLaDOS from Portal are spot-on. “The more I described it, the more PK said, ‘Oh, you mean the robot from Portal!’”
In this sequel, M3GAN is no longer just a rogue AI on a murder spree – she’s facing off against AMELIA, a government-built robot gone berserk and made from M3GAN’s own tech. So… is M3GAN the good guy now? Johnstone teased that the line is blurry. “She did terrible things, yes. But is she evil, or just a product of what she was taught? That’s the core question. A redemption arc made sense, but can we actually trust her?”
The director emphasized the sequel’s deeper dive into the ethics of AI, pointing out how timely the themes have become. While the original focused on tech addiction (he called M3GAN ‘an iPad with legs’), the sequel leans into AI’s real-world boom – and the chaos it can unleash. Despite a limited budget – “probably the cost of the Terminator 2 opening scene,” Johnstone joked – they went big. “We pushed the action, the visuals, everything. It’s wild, weird, and epic in all the best ways.”
With high-octane action, unsettling questions about morality, and a robot diva with attitude, M3GAN 2.0 looks ready to slay – possibly literally.
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