One of the hottest properties in anime, Demon Slayer's first movie rewrote the rulebook on what an anime film can achieve. With the franchise growing larger every year, will we ever see another Demon Slayer Movie?
The Swordsmith Village Arc's cinematic release was a disappointment for fans expecting something on par with Mugen Train, but there's still hope for the future.
Swordsmith Village Arc's Cinema Release Explained
It could be argued that we've seen a second Demon Slayer movie already. However, whether the Swordsmith Village Arc's theatrical release counts as an actual 'movie' is debatable.
The Swordsmith Village Arc premiered in most regions in cinemas, with a theatrical release announced ahead of the TV series.
Demon Slayer's first movie, Mugen Train, was an adaptation of the next arc in the series. While it was later released as a TV series the cinema release in itself was a complete, canonical story not previously seen anywhere else.
Demon Slayer: To The Swordsmith Village, the cinematic release ahead of Season 3, was instead a mash-up of the end of Season 2 – the Entertainment District Arc – and the extended first episode of Season 3.
So, while Demon Slayer has technically had a second cinematic release already, it's hard to see it as a second movie in the same breath as Mugen Train.
Will There Ever Be Another Demon Slayer Movie Like Mugen Train?
While another full-fledged Demon Slayer movie hasn’t been talked about yet, it’s fair to assume that there will be a second eventually given the success of Mugen Train.
Back in 2021, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train became the highest-grossing anime movie worldwide. The film was a commercial and critical success, attracting a small army of new fans to the series.
Not only did the film expand the anime’s fanbase, but it was also hugely appealing to existing fans who got to see their favourite series on the big screen.
Mugen Train was a success in every sense of the word, and while the Swordsmith Village 'movie' wasn't as popular, it still got a lot of people out to the cinema.
With the series continuing to reach new heights of popularity, we’ll likely see another movie come out in the future.
What Would the Next Demon Slayer Movie Cover? Our Prediction
As of the time of writing, we can only speculate what a new Demon Slayer movie might cover. However, an educated guess is that the second movie could be the Infinity Castle Arc.
Assuming the movie will be canon, as with Mugen Train, we can make an educated guess by looking through the order and release of the story so far:
Story Arc(s) | Release | Format | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
Arc 1-6 | Demon Slayer Season 1 | TV Series | 2019 |
Arc 7 (Mugen Train) | Demon Slayer: Mugen Train | Film | 2020 |
Arc 8 (Entertainment District Arc) | Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc | TV Series | 2021/2022 |
Arc 9 (Swordsmith Village Arc) | Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc | TV Series | 2023 |
The next arc after Season 3 is the Hashira Training Arc, which doesn't have the big, showpiece moments like Mugen Train. It has been confirmed that Demon Slayer Season 4 will cover this in a TV release.
With the Hashira Training Arc left for TV, that leaves the potential for a film adaptation of what’s called the Final Battle Arc. The Final Battle Arc itself is broken down into two sections, the first of which is the Infinity Castle Arc.
The Infinity Castle is already a popular location in the anime and would make for the perfect big-screen experience, delivering major visuals and larger-than-life enemies.
Of course, there is always the potential for a spin-off movie that’s not canon, like Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King or One Piece Film: Red. However, right now, that feels unlikely given the success of Mugen Train and the trajectory of the franchise so far.
When Will We See a New Demon Slayer Movie?
Given the release order for Demon Slayer so far, it's fair to assume we will be waiting at least another year or two before a new Demon Slayer blockbuster.
It's widely expected that Demon Slayer Season 4's Hashira Training Arc won't premiere until sometime in 2024. Given the yearly releases so far, that would put a new movie at some time in late 2024, or more likely, 2025.
Thankfully, we won’t be starved of new Demon Slayer content until the new film is released. Demon Slayer's fourth season is confirmed, and Tanjiro’s journey is far from finished yet!
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