Listen Up, Mobile Suit Gundam's Best Movie in Ages Is Getting a Sequel
Originally released in 2021, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash stunned anime fans with its spectacular animation and gripping story filled with intrigue. The film ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, leaving viewers to wonder: When will Part 2 arrive?
The wait is finally over—Hathaway's Flash Part 2 is officially on the way. Yesterday in Japan, the Shochiku movie company announced its 2025–2026 production lineup at a press conference. The highly anticipated Gundam sequel was included in the list as a title currently in production.
Origins of Hathaway's Flash: From Novel to Screen
A Complex but Worthwhile Journey for Gundam Fans
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash began in 1988 as a trilogy of novels written by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of the original 1979 Gundam series. The story follows Hathaway Noa, a character previously introduced in the 1985 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam TV series and further explored in the 1988 film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. In Hathaway's Flash, Noa becomes the secret leader of a terrorist group and pilots the powerful RX-105 Ξ Gundam against the Earth Federation forces.
Though the story leans more on complex character dynamics than action-packed battles, the 2021 anime adaptation of the first Hathaway's Flash novel is considered one of the finest entries in the Gundam franchise. The film is dense with lore and filled with callbacks to earlier events in Gundam’s Universal Century timeline, making it a challenging yet rewarding watch. With the sequel—presumed to be titled Hathaway’s Flash: Sun of Bright after the original novel—now confirmed, fans are eager to see how the story unfolds.
A Packed Slate of New Gundam Anime: Hathaway’s Flash Part 2 and More
Gundam's Momentum in 2025 Is Rising
Hathaway's Flash Part 2 was just one of several anime projects announced by Shochiku for its 2025–2026 lineup. Other upcoming productions include anime adaptations of manga series such as If Kujima Sings, the House Gurgle, and Tamon's B-Side, along with an adaptation of the light novel The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System.
Meanwhile, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is already off to a strong start this year with the release of the Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning movie. Co-written by Hideaki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame, the film debuted at number one in Japan and is scheduled to open in the United States on February 28. It seems likely that Hathaway's Flash Part 2 will contribute to Gundam’s ongoing success, continuing its legacy as one of the most iconic mecha franchises of all time.
Source: Eiga Natalie
- Created by
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- First Film
- Mobile Suit Gundam I
- First TV Show
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- Latest TV Show
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
- First Episode Air Date
- April 7, 1979
- Cast
- Tôru Furuya, Shūichi Ikeda, Hirotaka Suzuoki
The Gundam franchise is a cornerstone of mecha anime, featuring giant robots known as "mobile suits" in various wartime settings. Originating with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979, it explores complex themes of war, politics, and humanity through the struggles of pilots who navigate these massive machines. The franchise spans multiple timelines and universes, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories and standalone narratives.
