Unni Mukundan confirms Marco 2 has been shelved due to widespread backlash over the original film's violent content. Despite Marco’s ₹102.55 crore success, controversy forced the makers to drop sequel plans.
The blockbuster Malayalam film Marco (2024), which impressed at the box office last December, had sparked speculation about a sequel.
However, actor Unni Mukundan has now confirmed that the second installment has been officially dropped. Over the weekend, Mukundan addressed fan queries on social media, citing “too much negativity around the project” as the reason behind shelving the sequel.
Although Marco performed commercially well, it was widely condemned for its brutal content. Directed by Haneef Adeni, the film drew severe criticism for scenes involving extreme violence, including the killing of a baby, abuse of a pregnant woman, and prolonged depictions of sexual assault.
By January, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s Thiruvananthapuram office had received a flood of complaints questioning how such graphic scenes passed certification.
A senior CBFC official revealed that Marco became a reference point for what not to approve in future. “The backlash was unprecedented — over 200 complaints were registered within a month,” the official stated. Due to public outcry and internal scrutiny, it became evident that a sequel would face heavy censorship, if approved at all.
On Saturday, Unni Mukundan posted a transformation video on Instagram, showing his significant weight loss. When a fan asked about Marco 2 in the comments, he replied, “Bro, apologies but I have dropped plans to continue the Marco series. Too much negativity around the project. I’ll try my best to bring something bigger and better than Marco. Thanks for all the love and positivity. Cheers.”
The next day, he shared a montage of his character’s moments from the film, captioned, “Hasta la vista, Marco. Best A-rated farewell song, dedicated to my most loved A-rated character.” In another fan interaction, he made it clear: “Absolutely no chance” for part two.
Marco was helmed by Haneef Adeni and produced by Shareef Muhammed under Cubes Entertainments.
The neo-noir action thriller starred Unni Mukundan in the lead role and featured an ensemble cast including Siddique, Jagadish, Kabir Duhan Singh, Abhimanyu, Shammi Thilakan, Anson Paul, Ishaan Shoukath, and Yukti Thareja. Despite receiving backlash, the film grossed ₹102.55 crore worldwide.
