Director David Derrick Jr. has teased that Matangi’s unsteady allegiance inMoana 2could mean bigger conflicts are ahead. Disney’s sequel sees Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) off on a new journey to restore the lost island of Motufetu and undo the curse placed on the ocean by the storm god Nalo. The duo faces dangerous new villains, including Matangi—a mysterious bat lady who serves Nalo but was crucial in aiding Moana on her quest. WhileMoana 2amassed $1.05 billion at the worldwide box office, Disney has yet to announceplans forMoana 3.
In an interview withThe Wrap,Derrick Jr. confirms that Matangi could be a potential ally for Moana,but her current allegiance to Nalo complicates her role in the story.Moana 2ends with Moana successfully restoring the island and even developing new powers as a demigod, but its mid-credits scene confirms that Nalo’s reign of terror is far from over, setting upMoana 3for an even bigger adventure. Read what he had to say below:
It’s something we always played with, we always wanted Tamatoa to come in, in some way, we wanted to see Nalo and show the complicated relationship Matangi has –she’s team Moana, but she has to play both sides for a while because she’s in a tricky spot. And the placement of it, we wanted to go out on the most euphoric way possible, with Moana and her crew chasing the horizon, let some credits roll and then have some fun with our villains. There’d be a breath between them. But I love that. It hints at future problems.
What This Means For Moana 3
Nalo’s Influence Over Matangi Could Spell Trouble
TheMoana 2post-credits sceneshows Matangi (Awhimai Fraser) reporting back to Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i), trying to convince him that she had no role in Moana and Maui’s victory and has paid her dues. However, Nalo subdues her with a bolt of lightning and ominously declares, “No, we are just getting started.” This confirms that, at leastin the beginning ofMoana 3,Matangi will still be in servitude to the storm god.As Derrick Jr. teases, Matangi is ultimately “team Moana,” but she could be stuck playing both sides, making her an unpredictable force in the third movie’s story.
Moana’s Demigod Powers In Moana 2 Explained
Moana entered the Divine Realm in Moana 2, which officially cemented her status as a Demigod. Her ancestral lineage has granted her several powers.
The post-credits scene also confirms the return of the shiny-object-loving giant crab, Tamatoa, from the 2016 film. With Nalo growing more powerful and Tamatoa eager for revenge, Moana and Maui will need all the help they can get. If Matangi can be freed from her servitude,she could become a powerful ally against the lightning god. Yet, ifMoana2’s bat ladyremains trapped under his control, Matangi might instead serve as one of the third film’s primary threats.
Moana’s Next Journey Is Already Taking Shape
GivenMoana 2’s overwhelming theatrical success, it seems like only a matter of time before Moana surfs the tides again inMoana 3. Matangi remains mostly absent from the sequel, buther character represents an interesting dilemma that’s ripe for further exploration. Given Nalo’s fury in the post-credits scene, he is more likely to be positioned as the true villain ofMoana 3. UnlikeMoana 2, where he was an unseen force pulling the strings, the next film could see him taking matters into his own hands with Matangi as the unlikely ally.
