I’ve always enjoyed Ben Affleck’s villainous role in Mallrats. Coming a year before his breakout performance in Good Will Hunting, he plays jock douchebag Shannon Hamilton who competes with T.S. for the heart of Brandi Svenning. It doesn’t end well for Shannon, though, as he gets his comeuppance after a video of him having sex with a 15-year-old girl is unveiled and he’s promptly arrested for statutory rape.
Since Mallrats, Affleck and Smith famously had a falling out, though in recent years, they’ve rekindled their friendship. Now, Big Ben is reprising the role (along with everyone else in the cast) for the upcoming Mallrats 2. But what happened to Shannon? Surely his life must be ruined after the events of the first movie, right? Well, not quite. In an interview with THR, Smith was asked about Affleck’s return and said:
“The thing that I’m most tickled about is how Shannon Hamilton (Ben Affleck) and his crime from back in the day figures into the current climate. Shannon comes back as Senator Shannon Hamilton, and so his redemption arc begins before our movie even begins. His political redemption arc is pretty funny.”
It’s a little depressing but totally plausible that someone like Shannon Hamilton could move past a crime like that to gain political power. Still, his actions in the original Mallrats are certain to come back to haunt him. So while he may start in a position of influence, I doubt he’ll end things that way.
Mallrats 2 (which may end up being called either Twilight of the Mallrats or Mallrats Too) is expected to begin shooting early next year. It’ll be an interesting project and looks to reflect on the changes in culture since 1996, one of them being that shopping malls are quickly becoming obsolete and abandoned. We’ll also see how comic nerd Brodie is dealing with his niche passion of superheroes growing to take over the world and his relationship with his daughter (something that’ll likely be a reflection Smith’s own experiences with fatherhood).