One of the biggest talking points of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, recently released on May 6, 2022, was its fantastic cameos, which included Mr. Fantastic, portrayed by John Krasinski. But when it comes to fight sequences with a huge number of great cameos, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is hard to beat. The sequel was released nearly a decade after the original, so there was a lot of pressure to live up to the reputation of its predecessor.
The sequel is filled with a whole host of great cameos throughout the film, each one as zany as the last. The fight sequence towards the end of the film is now legendary and is littered with A-listers all wanting a piece of the action. Director Adam Mckay brought back the original cast, but also managed to bring along a few other big names for the ride.
Jim Carrey & Marion Cotillard
Jim Carrey and Marion Cotillard burst onto the scene of the battle as representatives of the Canada News team, with Cotillard representing the French-speaking Canadian news team. The two look as ready to fight each other as they are the other rival news networks.
Despite being an unusual pairing and only appearing for a short amount of time, the two make for a memorable pairing. They have great chemistry and manage to effortlessly get laughs in a scene where everyone is fighting for center stage, with it being particularly pleasing to see Cottilard in a more light-hearted role.
Drake
Way before the epic, cameo-filled fight scene, Drake makes a cameo at the beginning of the film and joins the list of famous rappers who made cameos in big movies.
The cameo is easily forgotten given how many others come later, but his fun introduction and call back to a running joke from the previous films help give the film a fun and enjoyable start. The cameo is great as Drake has made very few big-screen appearances, which makes it a rare treat.
Harrison Ford
If one includes his performance in the 2009 comedy Morning Glory, the TV news anchor role is one that Harrison Ford plays perfectly. In Anchorman 2, he plays Mack Tannen, a legendary news anchor the audience meets in the film’s first scene, who later reveals himself to be not only a news anchor but also a were-hyena.
It is joyful to see Harrison Ford in a lighthearted role, and seeing him turn into a were-hyena is the treat that no one was expecting. Ford filmed his role in one day and said his experience being in the film was “bizarre” and “they weren’t all in the scene I did. It was just what’s his name and the applesauce girl,” referring to Will Ferrell and Christina Applegate.
Will Smith
One of three rappers to appear in the film, Will Smith appears as Jeff Bullington from ESPN news. Smith calls an airstrike, which helps call an end to the battle.
Smith has appeared in many fight scenes, but it was particularly exciting to see him at the time of the release of this film as he had only recently returned after a four-year hiatus from acting, previously only appearing in Men In Black 3 and After Earth. Smith and Marion Cotillard are the only two Oscar winners to appear in the fight scene.
Amy Poehler & Tina Fey
There are few comedic acting duos today more recognizable than Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The pair appear as the host of Entertainment News, which is very fitting as they were the hosts of The Golden Globe Awards at the time of the film’s release.
The pair have worked together many times and therefore exhibit their great natural chemistry. They deliver much more explicit dialogue than other members of the fight, making them very aggressive straight from the start and helping them stand out from the other anchors. This is one of five films that they have appeared in together.
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen appears as a representative from BBC and is the first unwanted guest to enter the fight. He comes very close to killing Ron Burgundy, who gets by with a little help from his friend Roy, played by Greg Kinnear, who relieves his hidden superpowers.
Sacha Baron Cohen gets more screentime in the fight than most other members, reuniting with some of his Talladega Nights co-stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. The cameo is great as it was a surprise to see Baron Cohen in a large ensemble comedy due to his huge rise in fame. Since the release of the film, he has gone on to be nominated for two Academy Awards.
Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn returns as Wes Mantooth, Burgundy’s rival from the previous film. He is lucky to survive the original fight, avoiding the same fate as a now armless Luke Wilson or being stabbed with a pitchfork by Steve Carell.
The nods and references to the previous film are subtle and well-executed. Vaughan’s appearance acts as a moment of nostalgia for the first film, referring back to their past in San Diego, the iconic setting of the first film. The role is one of Vaughan’s last comedy roles as he transitioned into taking far more dramatic acting performances.
John C. Reilly
John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell have a great history when it comes to being in memorable final scenes together, but this isn’t the Catalina Wine Mixer! Reilly appears in this film as part of the History channels team, bizarrely playing the ghost of Stonewall Jackson, something which Burgundy cannot get over.
Seeing Reilly and Ferrell reunite on screen is a great treat after their fantastic chemistry in Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and Holmes and Watson, although the latter was a critical failure. Reilly nearly appeared in the first Anchorman movie and his odd portrayal of a ghost makes him stand out in the scene and is a great example of the completely unexpected style of the comedy seen in the movie.
Liam Neeson
Alongside the ghost of Stonewall Jackson, Liam Neeson is the leader of the History channel. The History Channel is part of the fight with Neeson claiming, “We’re news too, only news told much much later.” Neeson is no stranger to a fight scene and uses historical weaponry in the fight, as well as the help of a Minotaur.
The film came out in a period when Neeson was trying to step away from his usual action roles, appearing in comic roles in Ted 2, A Million Ways To Die In The West, and Ricky Gervais’s Lifes Too Short. The change in style makes his appearance all the more refreshing and funny, and Neeson’s deadpan delivery makes for a great cameo.
Kanye West
Perhaps the most surprising cameo of them all was from Kayne West, who joins the fight as Wesley Jackson from MTV news. The character meets a graphic end as he is blown apart by Brick Tamlands raygun from the future. But he still had time to conceive the idea for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video.
During the production of the film, West allegedly refused to leave his trailer for over two hours over his disapproval of the jacket he was to wear for the film, despite only appearing in the film for 26 seconds. Producer Judd Apatow had to convince him that a lot of thought had gone into the costume for the character, with West ultimately deciding, “I guess this is fine.”
