By contrast, Day of the Soldado puts them front and center, removing Emily Blunt’s Kate Macer from the equation, while also leaving the door open for her to potentially return in a third movie.
One of the critical ways in which Sicario: Day of the Soldado separates itself from the film that preceded it is the fact that it has shifted focus and re-centered itself with new heroes.
In the original Sicario, Josh Brolin’s Matt Graver and Benicio del Toro’s Alejandro were enigmas that the audience could never quite figure out.
It’s a bold choice when we consider the fact that Sicario was so rooted in Kate’s perspective, but the decision seems to have paid off.