Here's a cast and character guide to Backdraft 2. The rise of DVD in the 2000s saw studios look through their back catalogs for hit movies they could produce inexpensive follow-ups to. That's how sequels like Road House 2, Single White Female 2: The Psycho or The Hitcher 2 - which has a controversial death - suddenly appeared on the shelves of Blockbuster. Few of these STV sequels have merit, with some even being filmed as separate movies before later being rebranded as sequels before release.
In the years since DVDs heyday, there have been many more surprise STV sequels of note, including Sam Mendes' war drama Jarhead spawning several action movie follow-ups. Another unlikely follow-up arrived in 2019's Backdraft 2, a belated sequel to Ron Howard's firefighter drama starring Kurt Russell. Whereas the original featured several impressive setpieces, this lower-budget entry is more of a mystery thriller.
Backdraft 2 didn't receive great reviews, but it is an oddly entertaining movie in its own way. Here's a guide to Backdraft 2's cast and characters.
Joe Anderson as Sean McCaffrey
Joe Anderson is best known as Hannibal villain Mason Verger and his supporting role in The Crazies and plays Backdraft 2's hero Sean McCaffrey. Sean is an arson investigator and fire marshall who is the son of Russell's late firefighter, Stephen. He's something of a loner who is investigating a strange case of arson that killed several children, and he has a strange obsession with fire.
William Baldwin as Brian McCaffrey
William Baldwin (Sliver, Only God Forgives) returns from Backdraft as Brian McCaffrey, Sean's uncle and Stephen's brother. Brian is now Deputy District Chief of Chicago Office of Fire Investigation, but despite being an authority figure earns little respect from Sean. That's because Sean - rightly - suspects there was more to his father's death that Brian helped cover-up, though the two eventually find some common ground.
Donald Sutherland as Ronald Bartel
Another returnee to Backdraft 2 is screen legend Donald Sutherland (1978's terrifying Invasion of The Body Snatchers) as Ronald Bartel. Ronald is a former pyromaniac who dubs fire itself as "the Dragon" and plays something of a Hannibal Lecter-style role in the story. Sean reluctantly turns to Ronald a couple of times when he needs help on his case, in exchange for telling Bartel some personal stories about himself.
Alisha Bailey as Maggie Rening
Rounding out Backdraft 2's main cast of characters is Alisha Bailey (Save Me, Lake Placid: Legacy) as Maggie Rening. Maggie is a disgraced firefighter assigned to work with Sean, but while they initially have a frosty relationship, they slowly come to work as a team.