Will Smith will revive his 'I Am Legend' character for the upcoming sequel: 'We're going with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lives'

• Will Smith is returning for the 'I Am Legend' sequel, despite being killed off in the original film.
• He said during a recent talk that the reboot is going to follow an alternative ending to the film.

Will Smith has shared details about the sequel to "I Am Legend," including how his character, who dies in the original film, will be resurrected for the new thriller.

Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, Smith said: "I have a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow. The script just came in… I'm probably giving away too much information," Deadline reported.

Smith's character, US Army virologist Robert Neville, was killed off at the end of the first movie's theatrical cut, but the DVD version contained an alternative ending where he survives — and Smith said that the sequel, which was confirmed in 2022, would be following that version of events.

"You have to be a real 'I Am Legend' buff, but in the first one, in the theatrical version, my character died."

"But for the DVD, there was an alternate version of the ending of the movie where my character lived," he said. "We are going with the mythology of the DVD version."

"I can't tell you anything more, but Michael B. Jordan is in and we're doing it," he added.

"I Am Legend" saw Smith take on the role of one of the only survivors after a virus decimates mankind. It grossed more than $585 million.

As Business Insider previously reported, Warner Bros. had been trying to get "I Am Legend 2" off the ground for years before the sequel was announced last year.

The addition of "Black Panther" and "Creed" star Jordan, who is set to produce as well as star in the sequel, may have been what inspired Smith to reprise his role.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight last March, Smith — who will also serve as a producer on the film — said he hadn't been interested in returning to the movie until he heard Jordan's idea for the film.

"The idea came up. I can't talk about it yet. But it's a really, really cool concept, and he was a part of creating the idea," Smith said. "So it was one of those ones I was gonna leave alone, and then I heard the idea. I was like, 'That might work. I think we can do that.'"