Hollywood loves a "once in a lifetime" pairing. Honestly, it’s kinda wild when you look at the filmographies of two massive titans like Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman and realize they’ve only shared the screen once. Just one time. No sequels, no long-running franchises, just one weird, bullet-bending fever dream from 2008 called Wanted.
If you were alive and breathing in the late 2000s, you couldn't escape this movie. It was everywhere. It had James McAvoy getting smacked in the face with a keyboard and Jolie looking cooler than anyone has a right to look while hanging off the side of a moving Dodge Viper. But the real glue? That was the dynamic between Jolie’s Fox and Freeman’s Sloan.
The Weird Magic of Wanted (2008)
Let’s be real for a second. Most action movies from that era have aged like milk. The CGI gets crunchy, the plots feel dated, and the "edginess" usually just feels cringey now. Yet, Wanted stays relevant. Why? It’s mostly because of the sheer weight the cast brought to a script that, on paper, is basically "what if we made a loom decide who dies?"
Morgan Freeman plays Sloan, the leader of a secret society of assassins called the Fraternity. He does the "Morgan Freeman thing"—the gravitas, the voice that sounds like warm honey, the calm authority—but with a sinister twist. He’s not the wise mentor this time. He’s the guy using fate as a front for his own hit-list.
Then you have Angelina Jolie as Fox. This wasn't just another Lara Croft role. She based her performance on Clint Eastwood. No, seriously. She wanted Fox to be a woman of very few words, someone who moved with purpose and didn't need to explain herself.
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Why the pairing worked so well:
- The Contrast: You have Freeman’s stillness versus Jolie’s lethal athleticism.
- The Power Shift: In most movies, Freeman is the ultimate moral compass. In Wanted, Jolie’s character eventually realizes he’s the one breaking the code.
- The "Loom of Fate": It’s a ridiculous concept, but having these two explain it makes you actually buy into the lore for 110 minutes.
Behind the Scenes: Working Together
Morgan Freeman has been pretty vocal about his experience on set. In interviews, he’s mentioned that he loved the script's eccentricity. He even joked that he'd "leap" at the chance to work with Jolie again. He called her a "total professional," which, coming from a guy who’s worked with everyone from Eastwood to Spielberg, actually means something.
They filmed a lot of it in Chicago. Fun fact: Freeman was actually pulling double duty. He was filming The Dark Knight at the same time in the same city. One day he’s Lucius Fox helping Batman, the next he’s Sloan helping an assassin curve bullets. Talk about a busy schedule.
Jolie, on the other hand, was the one who pushed for her character to have a more definitive, dramatic arc. In the original comic book, Fox is a bit different, but Jolie wanted that "ultimate sacrifice" moment. It’s that final scene—the circular bullet shot—that solidified the movie in pop culture history.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Sequel
Every few years, a rumor pops up. "Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman returning for Wanted 2!"
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Let's clear that up. It's almost certainly not happening. At least not with the original duo.
- Character Fate: If you’ve seen the movie, you know Fox’s story ended pretty decisively. You can't really come back from a 360-degree bullet to the head.
- Stalled Development: Universal has tried to get a script going for years. At one point, they talked about bringing Jolie back via some "resurrection" plot, but she reportedly turned it down because she felt it would cheapen the first film’s ending.
- Creative Shift: Director Timur Bekmambetov has moved on to other tech-heavy projects.
Honestly, it’s probably better this way. Some things are better as a standalone cult classic.
The Humanitarian Connection
Outside of the film, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman share a massive footprint in the world of philanthropy, though they rarely cross paths publicly in that arena. Freeman is big into environmental conservation—he famously turned his ranch into a bee sanctuary. Jolie, as we all know, spent two decades as a Special Envoy for the UNHCR.
They represent two different "modes" of Hollywood royalty. Freeman is the elder statesman, the narrator of the American experience. Jolie is the activist-filmmaker, always pushing for global change.
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Actionable Insights: How to Revisit Their Work
If you're looking to dive back into this specific era of cinema or see why these two are considered the gold standard, here is how you should approach it:
- Watch the "Cast and Characters" featurette: If you can find the old Blu-ray or a digital "extras" version, there’s about 20 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage where Freeman and Jolie talk about their craft. It’s a masterclass in how to take "genre" material seriously.
- Compare the Comic: Read Mark Millar’s original Wanted graphic novel. You'll see just how much Freeman and Jolie changed the vibe. The comic is much darker and more cynical; the movie has a weirdly hopeful heart, thanks to the leads.
- Look for the "Eastwood" Influence: Watch Wanted again and look at Jolie’s eyes. You can really see that Clint Eastwood inspiration she mentioned. She barely blinks.
The legacy of Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman in Wanted isn't just about the box office (though it made $342 million). It’s about how two A-list actors can take a wild, "popcorn" premise and turn it into something that people are still talking about nearly 20 years later. It’s stylish, it’s loud, and it’s one of the few times we got to see two legends play in the same sandbox.
To truly appreciate their impact, start by re-watching the "curving the bullet" training scenes. Notice how Freeman uses his voice to create tension while Jolie uses her silence to build it. It’s a textbook example of screen presence. After that, check out Jolie's later directorial work like Unbroken to see how her time on big sets influenced her own storytelling style.