When Sicario hit theaters in 2015, it felt like a lightning strike. It was cold, precise, and deeply nihilistic. So, when the sequel arrived three years later, everyone was asking the same thing: can you actually make a Sicario movie without Emily Blunt? Honestly, it’s a fair question. Blunt was the moral compass of the first film, the audience surrogate who was just as horrified as we were by the escalating violence. But the cast of Sicario Day of the Soldado took a hard pivot. Instead of a story about a "good person" losing their way, we got a brutal, stripped-down look at two wolves—Matt Graver and Alejandro Gillick—operating in a world where the rules had basically evaporated.
It's a darker, meaner film. It trades the operatic tension of Denis Villeneuve for the gritty, tactile realism of Stefano Sollima. But what really holds the whole thing together is the ensemble. Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro don't just reprise their roles; they dig into the ugly, calcified parts of these characters that we only glimpsed in the first installment.
The Powerhouse Duo: Brolin and del Toro
The movie basically lives and breathes through the chemistry of its leads. You've got Josh Brolin as Matt Graver, the CIA operative who looks like he’s permanently stuck in a "no-nonsense" gear. In this movie, Graver is given more autonomy, which is a terrifying prospect. Brolin plays him with this casual, flip-flop-wearing arrogance that makes his tactical efficiency even more jarring. He’s the guy who will crack a joke while deciding the fate of an entire region.
Then there’s Benicio del Toro.
Alejandro Gillick is easily one of the most compelling characters in modern cinema. He’s a ghost. A wraith. Del Toro’s performance is remarkably quiet; he does more with a heavy-lidded stare than most actors do with a five-minute monologue. In Day of the Soldado, we see a slight crack in that icy exterior. When he’s tasked with kidnapping Isabel Reyes, the daughter of a cartel kingpin, something in him shifts. It’s not a "heart of gold" moment—let’s not get it twisted—but it’s a recognition of a shared humanity that he thought he’d buried years ago.
💡 You might also like: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
The Breakout: Isabela Merced’s Gritty Turn
If the movie has a secret weapon, it’s Isabela Merced (credited then as Isabela Moner). Playing Isabel Reyes, she has to go from a spoiled, private-school brat to a terrified pawn in a geopolitical chess game. It’s a physical, grueling role.
One minute she's getting into a fistfight at school, and the next she’s being dragged through the desert. Merced holds her own against del Toro, which is no small feat. There’s a specific scene in a humvee where they just look at each other, and you can see the power dynamic shifting. She isn't just a "damsel" to be rescued. She is a witness to the carnage her father created, and Merced plays that realization with a haunted, wide-eyed intensity that lingers long after the credits roll.
Supporting Players and the New Faces of the Cartel War
The cast of Sicario Day of the Soldado also benefits from a deep bench of character actors who bring instant credibility to the fringes of the story.
Jeffrey Donovan returns as Steve Forsing. You know him—the guy with the glasses who always looks like he's doing taxes while holding an assault rifle. Donovan is incredible at playing the "competent professional." He doesn't need a backstory because his body language tells you everything you need to know: he’s been in the mud, he’s seen the worst of it, and he’s still here.
📖 Related: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
Then you have the newcomers:
- Catherine Keener plays Brey, Graver's superior. She brings a bureaucratic coldness that mirrors the physical violence on the ground. She’s the one making the "big picture" calls that get people killed.
- Elijah Rodriguez as Miguel Hernandez. This is the B-plot that eventually crashes into the main story. Miguel is a kid from Texas who gets sucked into the world of human smuggling. Rodriguez plays him with a mix of insecurity and bravado that feels incredibly authentic to how gangs actually recruit.
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Gallegos. He provides a menacing presence that represents the evolving threat of the cartels.
Why the Casting Shift Worked (And Why Some Missed Emily Blunt)
Let’s be real. A lot of critics felt the absence of Emily Blunt’s Kate Macer. Without her, the movie lacks a traditional "hero." But that’s kind of the point. Writer Taylor Sheridan (the guy behind Yellowstone) clearly wanted to explore what happens when the leash is taken off.
Without Macer there to say "this is illegal" or "this is wrong," we are stuck with Graver and Alejandro. We are forced to reckon with their logic. It’s a polarizing choice, but it works because the cast of Sicario Day of the Soldado is talented enough to make these morally bankrupt men fascinating. You don't necessarily root for them, but you can't look away.
Behind the Scenes: The Italian Influence
Director Stefano Sollima brought a different energy than Villeneuve. Coming off the Italian crime series Gomorra, Sollima knows how to film "the grind." He leaned into the technical expertise of the cast. Brolin and del Toro reportedly spent significant time with tactical advisors to ensure their movement and weapon handling were flawless.
👉 See also: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
There’s a scene where Alejandro uses a specific "finger-tap" signaling method while navigating a crowded area. That wasn't just in the script for flair; it was a detail brought in to ground the character in real-world tradecraft. This level of detail is why the movie feels so heavy. It doesn't feel like a "movie" version of the border; it feels like a documentary that accidentally turned into a thriller.
The Ending That Left Everyone Talking
The final act of the film is where the cast really shines. No spoilers for those who haven't caught it on streaming lately, but the resolution for Alejandro and Miguel is... unexpected. It sets up a potential third film that would fundamentally change the dynamic of the series.
The way del Toro handles the "resurrection" of his character’s purpose is masterclass acting. It’s all in the breathing. It’s in the way he carries his shoulders. He looks like a man who has died and realized that death didn't want him yet.
How to Revisit the Sicario Universe
If you're looking to dive back into this world or understand the performances better, here are the best ways to engage with the material:
- Watch the "Tequila" Scene Again: Pay close attention to the scene where Alejandro and Isabel interact with a deaf farmer. It’s the only moment of genuine tenderness in the film, and it’s performed almost entirely in sign language. It shows the range of the cast of Sicario Day of the Soldado beyond just tactical movements.
- Compare the Two Films: Watch the original Sicario and Day of the Soldado back-to-back. Notice how Brolin’s character becomes more cynical. In the first film, he’s a cowboy; in the second, he’s a weary soldier realizing the war is unwinnable.
- Track the Newcomers: Keep an eye on Isabela Merced and Elijah Rodriguez. Both have gone on to massive projects (Alien: Romulus, Superman), and you can see the seeds of their stardom in their raw performances here.
- Listen to the Score: While not "cast" in the traditional sense, the score by Hildur Guðnadóttir (who took over for the late Jóhann Jóhannsson) acts like a character itself. It’s oppressive and heavy, reacting to the actors' movements in a way that heightens the stakes.
The film is currently available on various streaming platforms like Hulu or for rent on Amazon. Whether we ever get a Sicario: Capos to finish the trilogy is still up in the air, but the work done by this cast stands as a high-water mark for the modern gritty thriller. It's a bleak, uncompromising look at a world with no easy answers, anchored by actors who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
Next, you can look for the "making of" featurettes on the Blu-ray or digital extras, which detail the specialized weapons training the actors underwent to maintain the film's extreme realism.