Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor has been one of the most famous fighters to come out of the sport, aside from his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. Known for his controversial trash talk both on and off the ring, McGregor’s ability to electrify his supporters and vex his opponents remains unparalleled. Thus, it was only natural that McGregor would make a foray into Hollywood as well, and lo and behold, he found the perfect film to break onto the movie scene: the 2024 Roadhouse remake directed by Doug Liman and starring Jake Gyllenhaal. But the fans now want Roadhouse 2 with a Conor McGregor return.
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The original Roadhouse (1989) is a cult classic, starring the iconic Patrick Swayze as the bouncer "James Dalton", at a newly refurbished roadside bar, who protects a small town in Missouri from a corrupt businessman. In Roadhouse (2024), the story is the same, except this time the bar is in the Florida Keys and Dalton (Gyllenhaal) is an ex-UFC fighter. Running into a local real estate mogul, Ben Brandt, who wants to tear down the bar as part of his proposed oceanfront resort, Dalton finds himself smack dab in the middle of this brewing storm. When things start to go awry, Brandt’s incarcerated father dispatches the psychopathic enforcer Knox, played by Connor McGregor, to get things back on track. What follows is a battle of both wits and muscle as Dalton is forced to go up against a seemingly unstoppable trio of Brandt, Knox, and the local Sheriff to take over the town.
Roadhouse 2 Conor McGregor
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McGregor steals every scene he is in as he infuses Knox with both gravitas and style, managing to outshine even an established actor such as Gyllenhaal in every single scene they share. He is also a towering presence, built like a tank and demolishing everything that comes in his way.
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What the film does best is help Knox transcend from being a henchman to the main villain Ben Brandt to being the main antagonist by the very end. It is as if Liman realized that a sequemish Brandt would be no match for Dalton, and thus, Knox needed to pick up the slack for a compelling final villain. A skilled fighter with unparalleled ability to take a beating, Knox repeatedly gains the upper hand on Jake Gyllenhaal's Dalton throughout the film and is only fatally wounded by chance at the film’s climax. In the heat of battle, it is alluded that Knox has been eliminated, but a post-credits scene shows him recuperating in a hospital. Knox then beats the hospital staff up after waking up and manages to flee before the cops arrive.
Roadhouse 2 Conor McGregor
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Knox's survival in the post-credits scene means that the filmmakers were nudged to include his return after focus groups must have told them how good he is. Thus, it is clear that McGregor’s Knox survived so that he may return in the sequel. It would be foolish not to bring back Knox since McGregor is so well known throughout the world, and because both audiences and critics loved his character even more so than the protagonist Dalton himself.
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Roadhouse, being star-studded and full of action-packed sequences, was to have a theatrical release, but the studio and the producers agreed to a streaming release if it meant a 40 percent increase in the film’s budget. Concurrent with the film’s release in March 2024, Gyllenhaal expressed interest in reprising his role and developing a sequel if the film did well on streaming. It did, and within a few months, a sequel was officially announced to be in development with Gyllenhaal reprising the lead role. Amazon MGM Studio head Jennifer Salke would later confirm that work on the project is ongoing. In April 2025, it was reported that veteran British filmmaker Guy Ritchie was in talks to direct the sequel. He was confirmed to direct later that month, from a screenplay by Will Beall.
Roadhouse 2 Conor McGregor
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However, the film would soon find itself in significant trouble. Connor McGregor, frustrated by the fact that he still hadn't been asked to reprise his role, took to social media where he implored fans to let the studio know that Knox was the best part of the film. McGregor hoped that public pressure might skew the odds in his favor. A few days later, director Guy Ritchie would exit the project, and no reason would be offered for his departure. Around the same time, in June 2025, wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista was reported to be offered a role in the film.
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A director departing a project is one of the most significant signs that the film has run into trouble. Even though Amazon is searching for another guy to take up the job, Ritchie has a unique visual style, and Roadhouse 2 would have benefited immensely from it. Also, the fact that Batista has been offered a role shows that Amazon might have decided to swap out one brawler for another. McGregor has been known to be hard to work with, and Amazon might have decided a fresh face might do the sequel better. However, when it comes to social media presence and general public perception, McGregor is leagues above Batista. Whatever ends up happening, it will be interesting to see how the studio spins the presence or absence of McGregor in the sequel.
Roadhouse 2 Conor McGregor
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Therefore, there are no official confirmations as of yet if Conor McGregor is coming back for Roadhouse 2. If several of the recent news snippets are to be believed, the chances of McGregor returning are slim and dropping fast. It goes without saying that the sequel would benefit tremendously from McGregor’s presence since he was the best part of the first one. With so many pieces in motion in regards to the sequel, we still think McGregor can pull off a stunner and become part of the cast at the last second. Fingers crossed!
Let us know in the comments below if McGregor should return.
