Lara Croft is a juggernaut. It doesn't matter if you first saw her as a collection of sharp polygons on a PlayStation 1 or through the lens of a Hollywood blockbuster; she’s basically the blueprint for the modern action hero. But when people talk about the cast of Tomb Raider 2, things get a little messy. Are we talking about the 2003 sequel The Cradle of Life starring Angelina Jolie? Or are we talking about the long-delayed, eventually-canceled sequel to the 2018 Alicia Vikander reboot? It’s a bit of a rabbit hole.
Honestly, the casting choices define these movies more than the actual plots do. You’ve got Oscar winners rubbing shoulders with future James Bonds and indie darlings.
Angelina Jolie and the Legacy of The Cradle of Life
By 2003, Angelina Jolie wasn’t just playing Lara Croft; she was Lara Croft. It’s hard to overstate how much her physical presence carried the sequel. While the first film was a massive financial hit, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life took a more global, almost Bond-like approach to its ensemble.
The standout addition to the cast of Tomb Raider 2 in the Jolie era was undoubtedly Gerard Butler. Long before he was shouting about Sparta in 300, he played Terry Sheridan. Terry was this sort of "disgraced" former Royal Marine who had a complicated, messy romantic history with Lara. Butler’s casting was brilliant because he brought a rugged, unpredictable energy that actually challenged Jolie on screen. They had chemistry. It wasn't just some guy following her around with a map.
Then you have Ciarán Hinds. If you need a villain who feels genuinely dangerous without being a cartoon, Hinds is your guy. He played Jonathan Reiss, a bio-terrorist looking for Pandora’s Box. Hinds brought a level of gravitas that the franchise honestly didn't deserve at the time. He treated the role with the same intensity he’d bring to a Shakespeare play.
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And we can’t forget Djimon Hounsou. He appeared as Kosa. Hounsou has this incredible ability to command a scene with just a look, and while his role wasn't huge, it grounded the third act of the film in a way that felt necessary.
The Supporting Players Who Kept It Moving
Chris Barrie returned as Hillary the butler, and Noah Taylor came back as Bryce. This was the "tech support" duo that gave the films their lighthearted, almost domestic feel back at Croft Manor.
- Til Schweiger: He played Sean, the ruthless henchman. You might recognize him from Inglourious Basterds later on.
- Simon Yam: A legend in Hong Kong cinema, he played Chen Lo, adding some serious international action pedigree to the production.
It was a weirdly stacked lineup for a movie about finding a mythological box in a "Lunar Temple."
The Reboot That Never Was: The Alicia Vikander Sequel
This is where the conversation about the cast of Tomb Raider 2 gets a little bittersweet. After the 2018 reboot, fans were basically promised a sequel. Alicia Vikander was ready. She’d put in the work—the muscle gain, the stunt training, the whole nine yards.
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For a long time, Misha Green (the powerhouse behind Lovecraft Country) was attached to write and direct. There were rumors and "leaked" working titles like Tomb Raider: Obsidian. But then, Hollywood happened. MGM lost the rights, Amazon bought everything, and the project was scrapped.
We missed out on seeing who would have filled that roster. Fans were campaigning for stars like Kristin Scott Thomas to return as the villainous Ana Miller. There was also heavy speculation that the sequel would have introduced a more "game-accurate" version of Sam or maybe even a reimagined Roth. But we'll never know. Instead, the "sequel" casting news shifted entirely toward the upcoming Amazon MGM television series.
Why the Casting Matters for the Future
When you look at the cast of Tomb Raider 2 across both iterations—the one that exists and the one that died in pre-production—you see a pattern. The role of Lara requires a specific type of gravity.
Angelina Jolie used her stardom to turn Lara into a superhero. Alicia Vikander used her physicality to turn Lara into a survivor. The actors surrounding them had to balance those energies. In The Cradle of Life, the cast felt like they were in a high-stakes heist movie. In the 2018 film, the cast (including Walton Goggins as the terrifying Mathias Vogel) felt like they were in a gritty survival drama.
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What We Can Learn From the 2003 Ensemble
- Chemistry is King: Gerard Butler’s inclusion showed that Lara works best when she has a foil, not just a sidekick.
- Villains need Stakes: Ciarán Hinds proved that a "prestige" actor can make even a sci-fi plot feel grounded.
- Global Reach: Using actors like Simon Yam wasn't just for show; it expanded the world of the film.
The news recently confirmed that Sophie Turner will be taking on the mantle for the new Amazon series. While not a "movie sequel," she is effectively the next person to lead a "Part 2" of this character's journey. The casting of her supporting players will likely follow the Cradle of Life blueprint: a mix of established veterans and gritty newcomers.
Actionable Steps for Tomb Raider Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of these productions or if you're just bummed out that the Vikander sequel never happened, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the "Cradle of Life" Deleted Scenes: There is a lot of character work between Jolie and Butler that didn't make the final cut but explains their backstory way better.
- Track the Amazon MGM Production: Since the film sequel is dead, follow the casting calls for the Phoebe Waller-Bridge led series. That is where the "new" cast is currently being built.
- Compare the Performances: Watch The Cradle of Life and the 2018 Tomb Raider back-to-back. Look specifically at how the supporting cast treats Lara. In the 2003 film, they treat her like a queen; in the 2018 film, they treat her like a nuisance. It changes the whole vibe.
The cast of Tomb Raider 2 represents a specific moment in time when Hollywood was trying to figure out if video games could be "real" movies. Whether it worked or not is up for debate, but the talent on screen was never the problem. Usually, it's the script that fails the actors, not the other way around. Keep an eye on the trades for the new series casting—it's going to be the next big chapter in this messy, fascinating casting history.