Most of the original cast returned, so why doesn’t Anna Kendrick appear in The Accountant 2? While The Accountant‘s ending didn’t directly set up a sequel, it left the dangling thread of Christian (Ben Affleck) finally reuniting with his long-lost brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal). The Accountant 2 goes in a much different direction as it acts as something of a buddy comedy between Brax and Christian as they investigate the murder of J. K. Simmons’ Ray King.
Despite the 2016 original being a comfortable hit, the film’s popularity has only increased in the years since. It received mixed reviews when it premiered, but it’s grown in estimation over the years thanks to streaming. While Simmons’ return might be short-lived, most of The Accountant‘s cast are returning for chapter two. Notably absent from the cast list is Anna Kendrick, who played Dana Cummings in the first movie. Dana’s investigations into a high-tech company’s shady practices made her a target, with Christian stepping in to keep her alive.
The Accountant Gave Anna Kendrick’s Character A Fitting Conclusion
There Is No Room For Dana In The Accountant 2’s Story
A mistake some sequels make is feeling the need to bring back as many cast members as they can — regardless of their importance to the plot. Dana played a vital part in the first installment, and her friendship with Christian helped him reconnect with his own humanity. The threat against her has been resolved by the time the credits roll, though. In her final scene, Dana also discovers Christian has given her a Jackson Pollock as a parting gift while he goes back to his high-risk career.
The Accountant wrapped up Dana’s story, where she got to return to her old life. The sequel brings back characters like Simmons’ King and Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth because they’re an organic part of the story, but it would have been harder to work Dana back into the series. Christian has likely severed ties with Dana to keep her safe, and unless the filmmakers found an exciting way to bring her back, her return could just feel contrived.
Anna Kendrick’s Character Doesn’t Easily Fit Into The Accountant 2’s Story
Dana Isn’t A Highly Trained Assassin Or Treasury Agent
Director Gavin O’Connor made it clear from an early stage that The Accountant 2 would zero in on the relationship between Brax and Christian. The death of King kicks the plot into motion, with the retired Treasury Director writing the words “Find the accountant” on his arm before he’s murdered. This is what brings Christian, Brax, and Marybeth into the same orbit — and it’s tricky to see how Dana would fit in with that setup.
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Dana is a nerdy accountant who finds herself in danger for doing her job. She has no personal connection with King, and since she’s neither a trained killer nor part of the Treasury, there’s little reason to draw her into the case. Again, the writers could have contrived a reason, like King having worked with Dana before his demise, but that would only raise further questions. It would be nice to see The Accountant 2 recreate the sweet dynamic between Christian and Dana, but it would distract from the story the sequel is telling.
The Accountant 2 Could Set Up Anna Kendrick’s Return In Another Sequel
The Accountant 3 Is Already Planned
When Gavin O’Connor confirmed a second movie was in development back in 2021 (via Cinemablend), he also stated he envisioned a trilogy of films. The plan for The Accountant 2 was always to lean into the Christian and Brax story, and for the final entry, the director stated, “… the third movie’s going to be, I call it, ‘Rain Man on steroids.’ The third movie is going to be the two brothers, this odd couple.” This implies The Accountant 3 could be some kind of road trip; that said, it will probably have a much larger body count than Rain Man.
If Dana is pulled back into Christian’s life in The Accountant 3, hopefully, for her sake, she’ll have taken up some combat training…
Even though Dana doesn’t fit into the sequel’s plot, she could return for the final entry. It would even feel like the series is coming full circle this way, and maybe Dana could reach out to Christian if she gets in trouble again. Hopefully, The Accountant 3 will avoid the old trope of killing Dana to motivate the Wolff brothers to seek revenge. If Dana is pulled back into Christian’s life, hopefully, for her sake, she’ll have taken up some combat training in the years since they last met.
Anna Kendrick Had A Movie Premiering Alongside The Accountant 2
Kendrick Has Another Sequel On The Way
While Anna Kendrick is not in The Accountant 2, the actor does have another sequel lined up that will be premiering alongside Ben Affleck’s sequel. Kendrick will be returning to her acclaimed role as Stephanie Smothers in Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor alongside Blake Lively. A Simple Favor follows small-time vlogger Stephanie as she investigates the disappearance of her impressive and mysterious friend, Emily (Lively), only to learn more about this woman. This new movie continues the thrill ride with a murder at a destination wedding in Italy.
In a fun coincidence, Kendrick’s Another Simple Favor made its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 7, just one day before The Accountant 2 premiered at the same festival. While those in attendance got a chance to see an early look at both movies, both are available to a wider audience around the same time, with The Accountant 2 hitting theaters on April 25 and Another Simple Favor debuting on Amazon Prime Video on May 1.
Did The Accountant 2 Miss Anna Kendrick?
The Sequel Is A Stronger Film Overall
There will always be a little bit of that Anna Kendrick charm missing whenever she doesn’t return to a project, but The Accountant 2 actually made the right decision in focusing on the relationship between the Wolff brothers. Utilizing the strong chemistry and charisma between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal has proven to be a winning success for Gavin O’Connor and The Accountant 2, as the sequel is a much stronger film than its predecessor in nearly every way.
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As stated earlier, there wasn’t an organic way to include Anna Kendrick’s character in the sequel, so opting to pick up the brother’s thread that The Accountant left off with was a genius choice for all involved. It’s still entirely possible for Anna Kendrick to return for the likely final installment in the trilogy, but The Accountant 2 proved that it can move past some of its most memorable characters, crafting an even more engaging story and action scenes in the process.
Source: Cinemablend
The Accountant 2
7/10
- Release Date
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April 25, 2025
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Director
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Gavin O’Connor
- Writers
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Bill Dubuque
- Producers
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Ben Affleck, Kevin Halloran, Matt Damon, Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell Taylor, Scott LaStaiti, Michael Joe, Mark Williams, Alison Winter
The Accountant
The Accountant franchise is an action-thriller series revolving around Christian Wolff, an autistic accountant with deadly combat skills, who uncovers financial corruption while confronting his past. The first film, The Accountant (2016), was a box office success, leading to a confirmed sequel set for 2025.
