Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire - The Shocking Betrayal and Future of Kai

The Impact of Kai's Betrayal

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire star Staz Nair reveals a big twist that upset the movie’s cast because of how close they became. Heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, Rebel Moon sees Sofia Boutella’s former soldier Kora recruit a ragtag group of heroes to help protect her adopted homeworld from the nefarious Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein). Throughout the movie, however, Charlie Hunnam’s roguish pilot Kai betrays Kora and her team in exchange for the hefty bounties placed on their heads.

Charlie Hunnam as Kai and Sofia Boutella as Kora talking in Rebel Moon Part One A Child of Fire

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Nair revealed how Kai’s shocking betrayal upset his fellow castmates due to their incredible behind-the-scenes bond. Sharing that the cast developed “an inevitable level of camaraderie” due to the intense training regime director Zack Snyder put them through, he said Kai’s betrayal “really did suck.” Many in the cast would also joke that Snyder’s planned extended cut would reveal the existence of Kai’s identical twin brother.

For sure. This is again a testament to Zack’s ethos and how he works. By putting us in training together, there was an inevitable level of camaraderie that was naturally forged through “suffering of solidarity,” as I like to say. There was this shared experience and shared struggle, and boy, was it a necessary struggle. It looked fantastic and inevitably brought us very close. The team made jokes about the fact that in the extended cut, there may or may not be a line where [Kai] goes, “Well, if you think I’m handsome, you should see my twin brother.” So we forged this wonderful bond, collectively. I even had some of the actors come to my wedding. Charlie and I really got along very well, and it started with those [training] conditions. And so [Kai’s betrayal] really did suck. I know everyone says, “Oh, the cast is amazing! I love them! They’re the best! We really bonded,” but I know it reflects in our behind-the-scenes. I know it reflects in the relationships that exist on screen as well, and Zack just knows how to collect beautiful, wickedly weird and wonderful people.

The Future of Kai in Rebel Moon

Killed by Michiel Huisman’s Gunnar during the fight that breaks out on the moon of Gondival, Kai’s apparent death in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire would seem to indicate the character will not be returning for the movie’s forthcoming Part Two. However, given Snyder’s expansive plans for his new science fiction franchise, it may be too early to discount all future appearances from Hunnam’s duplicitous character.

Created in the same vein as other iconic sci-fi opportunists such as Star Wars’ Lando Calrissian, Hunnam’s Kai was easily one of the more intriguing and well-developed characters in a movie that sometimes struggled to flesh out the assorted histories and motivations of its other key roles. While Kai’s death may allow for other heroes like Nair’s Tarak to assume more of the spotlight in Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver's story, Snyder has already proven that death is not always permanent in his sci-fi universe.

Though it is unlikely Imperium forces would seek to resurrect Kai in the same manner as they did Admiral Noble, Synder may still elect to return to the character via additional flashbacks or similar narrative devices. Moreover, with Humnam himself revealing he would be open to reprising the character for a Rebel Moon spinoff, Synder may even look to give the character his own prequel movie or show somewhere later down the line. Either way, audiences may still get to see more of Hunnam’s Kai even after his well-deserved death in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire.

The Potential for Kai's Return

How Charlie Hunnam’s Kai Can Return in Future Rebel Moon Installments

Though it is unlikely Imperium forces would seek to resurrect Kai in the same manner as they did Admiral Noble, Synder may still elect to return to the character via additional flashbacks or similar narrative devices. Moreover, with Humnam himself revealing he would be open to reprising the character for a Rebel Moon spinoff, Synder may even look to give the character his own prequel movie or show somewhere later down the line. Either way, audiences may still get to see more of Hunnam’s Kai even after his well-deserved death in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire.