How Alejandro Survived

But what happens on the US side of the border is only half of Sicario: Day of the Soldado's ending: we have Alejandro's survival to contend with. Although he's presumed dead, the shot by Miguel Hernandez - the up-and-coming smuggler seen throughout the film - was only a flesh wound (albeit a close call). It's not stated explicitly, but it appears that the Miguel spared Alejandro's life, shooting him in the jaw and leading to serious blood loss but nothing fatal.

The hitman frees himself and, with the help of a fellow victim's belt buckle, begins to make his continued bid for freedom. He comes across the aftermath of the CIA's attack on the smuggler convoy and takes the neon-green front vehicle, offing a duo of rival gang members with a carefully placed grenade before driving off into the unknown.

Alejandro is a man driven by revenge. In Sicario 1, he was working with the CIA primarily so he could kill Fausto Alarcón, the man who murdered his wife and family (and, in doing so, destabilize Carlos Reyes' operation). Here, his targets are marked on the big boss; he's set loose by Matt and aims to hit him where it hurts. The movie ends with him truly "free" - he's presumed dead by the CIA and so able to operate without any watching eye or oversight - but by making him a protector of Isabela (he even gives her the tracker, valuing her life over his), some of that anger and drive appears to have been put in question. Contrasted with Matt's end-point, and Sicario 2 is really aiming to push these unpushable men to their limits. However, it's not quite enough for Alejandro.

One Year Later: A New Sicario

The final scene of Sicario 2 takes place one year after the main events of the film, picking up with Miguel now fully embodying his gang member position: his arms are covered in tattoos, his hair crew cut, and his clothing chequered. He goes to visit his cousin's work in the mall, only to be confronted by Alejandro, sporting only a small scar as a reminder of their previous encounter. At first fearful, it's clear Alejandro has no revenge plan on Miguel: "you want to be a Sicario?" he asks, then closes the door.

Related: Sicario 2's Final Scene Should Have Been After The Credits

Even for the frank presentation of Sicario, this is a highly ambiguous endnote. The implication, of course, is that Alejandro recognizes the act of compassion and sees Miguel as a potential student. He does, after all, have the stomach to stand against authority even while looking to be part of it, just as Alejandro has been across the previous two movies.

How The Ending Sets Up Sicario 3

The ending of Sicario 2 suggests that going into Sicario 3, we can expect Alejandro to have an apprentice of sorts, someone to help him in his quest for Reyes from the inside. This mission is the real overarching narrative, and now the titular hitman has truly been set loose. Of course, this will also put him on a collision course with the authorities; could the third movie see Matt and Alejandro on opposing sides?

The really interesting hook for Sicario 3, though, is the reintroduction of Kate Mercer. The producers want Emily Blunt to reprise her role, and the narrative almost demands it. In Day of the Soldado, we saw Matt question his place in the crime-fighting world in a direct mirror to how she did in the first Sicario. The two movie have brought two very different people much more ideologically close than they ever thought possible. That relationship and potential clashes or partnerships are just as exciting as a gang war.

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Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a murkier movie than Sicario, in both the presentation of the American drug war and how it discusses its themes. That's mainly because the message is less clear-cut, and so the movie struggles to fully define itself. What it does incredibly successfully, though, is move the pieces in position for a third movie while very much feeling like a standalone film. The war isn't over yet.

Next: Our Interview With Sicario 2 Director Stefano Sollima