Nobody Asked for Kwam 1 and Pasuma in Jagun Jagun 2, Yet Femi Adebayo Went Ahead
Femi Adebayo Salami, the Nigerian actor and filmmaker known professionally as Femi Adebayo, has unveiled the cast of the sequel to one of Netflix’s most-watched Yoruba epics, pairing returning favorites with names from Fuji music, comedy, and the upper ranks of Nollywood. The film, titled “Jagun Jagun 2: War of Warriors,” arrives on Netflix on December 4.
Mr. Adebayo, 49 years old, revealed the cast in a video posted across his social media pages on Friday. The clip drew immediate attention for who appeared in it, including Funke Akindele, one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful stars, and two giants of Fuji music: Wasiu Ayinde, known as Kwam 1, and Wasiu Alabi, known as Pasuma.
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Comedian Cute Abiola and actor Muka Ray Eyiwumi also join the production, as does an entertainer billed as Kano State. The late veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly called Ogogo, is also listed among the new additions.
Several members of the original ensemble return. Lateef Adedimeji, Bimbo Ademoye, Bukunmi Oluwashina, Odunlade Adekola, Ibrahim Yekini, who performs as Itele D Icon, Fathia Balogun, Muyiwa Ademola, Yinka Quadri and Dele Odule are all named in the lineup, alongside Adebayo Salami, the veteran actor and Mr. Adebayo’s father.
You asked for the Cast Reveal 😁 https://t.co/tZzN89Meto
— Femi Adebayo (@realfemiadebayo) October 16, 2026
Mr. Adebayo said that inventing a character was only part of the work, and that bringing a fictional world to life demanded performers who could make audiences believe those people existed. His video teased performances built on power, rage and silence.
The release date was announced days earlier in a late-night teaser with a caption pointing to a story of war, fear, and legacy. The timing was notable: it came less than a week after Mr. Adebayo opened Euphoria360 Hub in Lagos, a new film complex with two cinemas, named for his production company.
The first “Jagun Jagun” arrived on Netflix on Aug. 10, 2023, after a premiere at the IMAX cinema in Lekki, Lagos, the night before. Directed by Tope Adebayo Salami and Adebayo Tijani and produced by Mr. Adebayo’s Euphoria360 Media, it follows Ogundiji, a feared warlord played by Mr. Adebayo, who grows uneasy as a young warrior named Gbotija, played by Mr. Adedimeji, rises to avenge his father’s death. Mr. Adebayo wrote the film with Mr. Tijani, and Niyi Akinmolayan’s Anthill Studios handled part of the post-production work.
The film followed “King of Thieves,” also known as “Agesinkole,” which opened in Nigerian cinemas in 2022 and earned more than 320 million naira (about $200,000), making it one of the highest-grossing Yoruba-language films in the country’s history. Mr. Adebayo has said his goal with “Jagun Jagun” was to surpass that film in every respect.
By most measures, the sequel’s predecessor did. It ranked as the fifth most-watched non-English film on Netflix worldwide, a rare showing for a Yoruba-language production. At the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, it won best indigenous language movie for West Africa.
At that year’s Best of Nollywood Awards, it collected six wins from 12 nominations, including best indigenous film, best actor for Mr. Adebayo, and director of the year. Mr. Adebayo also won outstanding male actor at the Abuja International Film Festival.
Critics were largely admiring. Reviewers praised its stronger plotting and its ambition, describing it as raising the ceiling for Yoruba epics. However, one noted that its action sometimes outran its attention to the moral weight of the violence. The same review noted that the ending left room for a continuation.
Mr. Adebayo confirmed in an interview in September 2023 that a sequel was coming, saying he had been overwhelmed by the response and promised a bigger film. Since then, he has built a broader streaming résumé. His Netflix limited series “Seven Doors,” which he created and co-directed, debuted in December 2024 and reached the top spot on Netflix Nigeria, where it stayed for several weeks.
Mr. Adebayo was born in Ilorin, in Kwara State, and comes from one of Nollywood’s best-known families. He married Omotayo Adebayo in 2016, and the couple has a son.
Netflix has not released a full synopsis for “War of Warriors.” Even so, the cast announcement has sparked a wave of online reaction, with fans debating the unexpected presence of Fuji royalty and the sequel’s reach beyond traditional film casting.
