Saw 11 is officially happening after the success of Saw X, and this means the sequel must keep a change that saved the franchise. The Saw movies received a surprising revival in 2023 with the release of a tenth installment. Saw X came after a string of sequels that underperformed and were critically maligned, creating understandable questions about whether the franchise James Wan and Leigh Whannell created had run out of steam. The skepticism about whether the latest entry would deliver proved to be unnecessary, as the sequel received great reviews and performed well at the box office, leading to Saw 11‘s official announcement.
The confirmation of another movie happening in the franchise means there is now more room for speculation and debate about what could come next. Saw X‘s ending and the post-credits scene left the door open for John Kramer’s story to continue, as the movie itself was a prequel set between the original first two films. Another prequel is expected to keep John Kramer around considering he died in Saw III. While almost every installment in the franchise included Jigsaw in some form, the way in which he was portrayed in Saw X was notably different, providing a new blueprint that Saw 11 should follow.
8 Characters Saw 11 Needs To Bring Back In New Prequel Story
Following Saw X’s prequel setting, there are multiple characters from the franchise’s past movies who need to return for Saw 11’s next story.
John Kramer Still Needs To Be The Hero Of Saw 11 After Saw X
It would be best for Saw 11 and the franchise overall if the movie continues to portray John Kramer as a hero. The franchise originally portrayed him as a rather clear villain, as Jigsaw’s games repeatedly tortured and killed people he thought needed a new lease on life. Saw X took the characterization of Tobin Bell’s character in a different direction by making him the movie’s protagonist. This was done by telling a story of John getting scammed as he was lied to about his cancer being cured in a scam. Saw X was mostly successful in making audiences root for John instead of the victims of his traps.
The balance between portraying John Kramer as a hero and a villain might be quite tricky, but this new perspective is one of the major reasons why Saw X was so well-received. It brought a personal story to the franchise like never before and flipped the script on every Saw movie. Saw 11 would be smart to continue down this path and show more of John Kramer’s life. The franchise cannot go as far as fully redeeming him or his actions, but turning Jigsaw into the true protagonist of the series and adding depth to the character is exactly what needs to keep happening.
How Saw 11 Can Continue Portraying Jigsaw As The Franchise’s Protagonist
The key to Saw 11 continuing down the path of showing Jigsaw as the protagonist comes through the movie’s setting and story. While John took revenge on people who wronged him in past installments, Saw X made his vengeful pursuit more understandable and introduced despicable antagonists. The prequel setting also played a major role in allowing audiences to see Jigsaw as the protagonist, as many of his most horrible acts have yet to happen in the timeline. Saw 11 having another prequel story about him bringing vengeance on those who are more evil than he is can keep his heroic streak going.
