Will Smith's absence in a popular sci-fi franchise's sequel seven years ago is all the more disappointing in the wake of his exciting return for I Am Legend 2. Smith's reprisal as Robert Neville for the forthcoming I Am Legend follow-up came as a pleasant yet truly shocking surprise, especially when considering the fate of his titular character in the debut film. As the only survivor of a mutant plague left in New York City, Neville searches for a cure to reverse the effects of the virus that has turned the population into Darkseekers, but he succumbs to death at the tail end of his mission.

https://screenrant.com/i-am-legend-2-will-smith-return-independence-day-sequel-worse/