Here’s Why Martin Scorsese Never Went Ahead With Mark Wahlberg’s Script for The Departed 2

The Departed. You know, that mind-blowing crime thriller that had us all on edge? Jack Nicholson’s creepy smile, Matt Damon’s questionable morals, and Leonardo DiCaprio caught in the middle of the whole thing.

Plus, Mark Wahlberg as Sergeant Dignam, serving up some of the most iconic one-liners ever. That film didn’t just win Best Picture at the Oscars—it became an instant classic. With a killer plot, stellar acting, and unforgettable twists, The Departed was as high-stakes as a Netflix drama binge.

It was, hands down, one of the best crime thrillers of the 2000s. But then… there was talk of a sequel. Monk D himself pitched The Departed 2 (because who wouldn’t want more Dignam?).

Fast forward a little, and we find out that the sequel never happened. It wasn’t because the cast didn’t want to return. Nope, turns out the story behind why The Departed 2 never saw the light of day is almost as crazy as the plot of the original.

Mark Wahlberg’s Failed Pitch for The Departed 2 (Didn’t Go As Planned)

After The Departed was a massive success, Mark Wahlberg thought it would be a good idea to pitch a sequel. Speaking to the KFC Radio podcast, Wahlberg admitted that the pitch meeting didn’t go well at all. Check out his quote below:

They talked about that, they talked about a prequel, and then a sequel. I went into a meeting with Bill Monahan at Warner Bros. to pitch the sequel to The Departed, he wanted me to go with him. This was after it had won Best Picture, it was a big success and all that. Let’s just say the pitch didn’t go very well.

The star had some big names in mind for the sequel. He imagined people like Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt joining the cast. But even with those ideas, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

They didn’t even have a script ready! Wahlberg thought it wouldn’t matter since The Departed had been such a huge hit, earning $291 million (via The Box Office Mojo)—the film already had an Oscar and a massive following, so who needed a script, right?

Well, apparently, Warner Bros. disagreed. They weren’t interested in the idea without a concrete plan or a full script, and they quickly shut it down. It wasn’t the smooth sailing Wahlberg had hoped for. But initially, the studio also wanted The Departed to be a franchise.

Why Martin Scorsese Wasn’t Interested in The Departed 2

Martin Scorsese, the genius behind The Departed, wasn’t exactly jumping at the idea of a sequel. Now, if you know anything about Scorsese, you know that he’s not the type of director to churn out endless sequels or franchises.

He’s all about creating fresh, unique stories that really make you think. That’s just the way he works. Scorsese’s experience making The Departed wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

He’s spoken openly about how tough the film was to make, with the dark, heavy subject matter and the grueling post-production process. It was a lot of emotional and creative strain, and he didn’t want to go through that again for a sequel. Check out his quote (via Cinema Blend):

You know, I hardly did any press for that film. I was tired of it. I felt it was maddening. I mean, I like the picture, but the process of making it, particularly in the post-production, was highly unpleasant. I said, I don’t care how much I’m being paid, it’ll kill me. I’ll die. Very simply.

Scorsese wasn’t going to compromise his vision just to create a franchise. He wanted The Departed to stand as a complete story, not the first chapter of a money-making saga. And honestly, you can’t blame him for that.

Warner Bros. Also Initially Pushed for The Departed Franchise Expansion

Warner Bros. was all about turning The Departed into a franchise. After the movie was a huge success, they were thinking about sequels, spin-offs, and all kinds of ways to make more money. As the director told said in an interview with GQ:

What they wanted was a franchise.

They also had one condition—they wanted both Leonardo DiCaprio’s and Matt Damon’s characters to survive, so they could come back for round two. But Scorsese wasn’t on the same page. He didn’t want to just pump out another movie for the sake of a franchise.

The Departed is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video!