Mark Wahlberg's The Departed 2 Is A Great Idea (But Is It Too Late?)

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Mark Wahlberg had plans for a sequel to TheDeparted, but it might be too late for the idea to work now. The original Martin Scorcese movie won four Oscars in 2007, including Best Picture, so a sequel back then or now would have the benefit of building on a successful and well-regarded film. Nevertheless, there are some factors that could keep The Departed 2 from working well, even if it's a great idea.

Like any good gangster film, The Departed features healthy doses of double-crossing, unexpected turns, and cold-blooded murder. It also makes use of a star-studded cast, which includes Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio in addition to Wahlberg. Nicholson plays mob boss Frank Costello, while Damon and DiCaprio play Colin Sullivan and Sean Costigan, respectively, two moles working for both Costello's mob and the police. After Sullivan kills Costello and indirectly leads to Costigan's death, he ultimately meets a shocking demise in The Departed's last scene, in which retired Sergeant Dignam (Wahlberg) surprises him at home with a shot to the head.

Related: Every Movie Leonardo DiCaprio Has Died In

Wahlberg's The Departed 2 pitch would have seen Dignam's story continued, as he's the only main cast member to survive the original. Although sequel plans never made it far due to the lack of a finished script, The Departed 2 could have been a great idea as a way to follow up from the first film's surprise ending. While Costello, Sullivan, and Costigan's stories come to definitive ends, it would be interesting to see where Dignam ends up next after quitting the force and murdering one of his former partners. By now, however, it is probably too late for such a story to work.

Because it's been 16 years since The