Elemental’s Scrapped Sequel Tease Revealed by Writer (Exclusive)

Pixar’s Elemental originally included a “very early idea” about a tease for a potential sequel featuring Wade and Ember. 

Elemental revolves around the love story between a hot-headed Fire woman named Ember and an emotional Water guy named Wade. 

Aside from exploring how opposites (literally) attract, Pixar’s latest movie also deeply tackled the topic of immigration and how a parents’ love stands above all. 

While Elemental‘s ending delivered a happy send-off to all the characters involved, a scrapped scene would’ve indicated what’s next for the main protagonists. 

Elemental’s Early Sequel Tease Explained 

Warning – The rest of this article contains spoilers for Pixar’s Elemental. 

In Elemental‘s final main sequence, Wade and Ember managed to save Fire Town from a giant flood. However, Wade began to evaporate after being trapped with Ember inside a small room with little circulation. 

After Ember thought that Wade died, the Water guy came back to life, leading to the pair sharing a kiss that allowed them to be in each other’s lives once and for all. 

Following a brief time jump, the movie’s ending featured a heartfelt goodbye between Ember and her parents as she prepares to embark on new adventures with Wade outside of Element City. 

In an exclusive interview with The Direct, Pixar’s Elemental writers John Hoberg and Kat Likkel, who penned the screenplay of the movie, opened up about an early idea that would’ve teased a sequel. 

Likkel confirmed that there was an early idea to introduce a “steam baby,” noting that Wade and Ember were initially supposed to come back to Fire Town to reveal that “they’ve had a baby, and the baby was steam:” 

The Direct: “Elemental’s ending perfectly delivered a worthwhile capper to the story of Wade and Ember. If you were to create a potential sequel to the movie, what story ideas do you want to see?”

John: “Well, I don’t know.”

Kat: “Oh, did we already talk about the steam baby? At one point, there was going to be a little addendum at the end. Instead of them [Wade and Ember] just leaving at the end, you were going to see that they had been gone and we’re coming back to visit, and they’ve had a baby, and the baby was steam. And so it’s like… that was something I kept fighting for that for a long time.”

Hoberg then said that “there’s so much more to tell” about Wade and Ember’s story, pointing out that “they’ve got to figure their life out together:”

“I think there was a feeling of like, ‘Well, you know what, let’s leave somewhere for them to go… If audiences really respond, that would be great.’ I mean, there’s so much more to tell because, in a marriage, this is the big romantic moment. And now they’ve got to figure their life out together. And I think all of us just love the thought of like, ’What are they up to now?’”

Likkel agreed, noting that Element City has “more stories to tell:”

“I think there are more stories potentially to tell about this family in this world. I have no secret knowledge about anything. I don’t… That’s just my own feeling. Like, I think there are more stories to tell about that place. But [it’s] just a wonderful world to live in.”

When The Direct clarified if the idea of introducing Steam was the original ending or a post-credits scene, Hoberg confirmed that it was a “very early kind of idea” that a storyboard artist drew: 

The Direct: “Just want to clarify, as for Steam, was that the original ending or a post-credits scene?”

John: “It was like a very early kind of idea. I don’t even know if it made it into one of the screenings. But it was more… definitely, a story artist drew it. Yeah, we all thought it was so sweet.”

The Elemental writer continued by saying that Ember’s big bow to her dad during the tail-end of the movie was the perfect wrap-up to the character’s journey: 

“But you know, it was interesting, because the movie really told us where it ended, which is the Ember at the very beginning, as a child wants to be a good daughter, and Bernie says, ‘Good daughter, you can take over,’ and that’s all she wants is to be a good daughter. And when she bows, and then he returns the bow, she’s freeing him. But he’s also letting her know, ‘You’re a good daughter.’ And so it’s almost like nothing could happen after that because her story was coming. And so I think that’s why any question of something else just kind of disappeared.”

Will Pixar Release Elemental 2?

It would’ve been interesting and quite fitting to witness the birth of Wade and Ember’s new baby, Steam, at the end of Pixar’s Elemental. 

While seeing Steam would’ve further cemented the love story between the two main protagonists, Elemental‘s core aspect still revolves around the topic of immigration, and the emotional bow between Ember and her dad, Bernie, managed to send a powerful message to viewers.

At this point, it is unknown if Pixar will release a sequel to Elemental, considering its mixed reviews (so far). If the studio decides to move forward with a follow-up, then the scrapped idea of including baby Steam could finally be pushed to the forefront. 

Moreover, other story ideas that the sequel may highlight could revolve around the other characters of Element City, such as Gale and Clod. 

Still, if a sequel doesn’t end up being made, one route that Pixar could utilize is the development of shorts centered around Element City, similar to what the studio did with the likes of Up and Inside Out. 

Pixar’s Elemental is now playing in theaters nationwide.