Why Meryl Streep’s Donna Was Killed Off In Mamma Mia 2

Despite Mamma Mia‘s success, the original cast was altered when Meryl Streep’s Donna was notably absent from its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Mamma Mia may not be one of Meryl Streep’s best movies, but it is well-loved for its camp homage to the Swedish pop sensation, ABBA. Many cast members, including Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth, reprised their roles in the well-anticipated sequel, however, Streep only returned for a brief cameo which left Donna’s future closed for good.

Five years after the events of Mamma Mia, it is revealed that Donna died. Though it is unclear when she passed away, Donna’s loved ones grieve her loss as they visit Greece to support Sophie as she fulfills her mother’s dream of opening a Grecian inn. Despite Streep’s limited screen time, Donna is still a pivotal part of Mamma Mia 2 and her death only deepens the mother-and-daughter relationship between Donna and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). Streep’s presence is still sorely missed from Mamma Mia 2, but there is a key reason why she decided not to return as a core member of the cast.

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Donna Was Killed Off In Mamma Mia 2 Because Of Meryl Streep’s View On Sequels

Streep Does Not Need Sequels To Succeed

Meryl Streep’s reputation as an Oscar-winning actress with an incredibly successful career makes her highly sought after by many in the film industry. Therefore, Streep has the luxury of being highly selective when choosing the next projects she is involved in. This extends to movie sequels, even if she has already been a part of the original movies. This is why Streep’s Donna was ultimately killed off in Mamma Mia 2: she doesn’t do sequels.

As Mamma Mia 2 Producer Judy Craymer explained in Entertainment Weekly, “[Streep] was hesitant about doing another [Mamma Mia] film because she doesn’t typically do sequels.” Often, movie sequels do not hold up to the original, and although they may capitalize on the success of the first movie, they may not compare in quality. As an actress with such a carefully crafted career, acting in a sequel may be a risk for Streep. However, the likely reason for her move away from sequels is that she simply doesn’t need to do them to thrive as an actress.

Mamma Mia 2’s Prequel Format Allowed Lily James To Join The Sequel

Donna Was Given A New Life Through Lily James

Meryl Streep’s absence in Mamma Mia 2 led to a creative solution that would keep the camp yet sincere tone of the original film that many fans loved. Mamma Mia 2 acted as both a prequel and a sequel, with Lily James taking the role as a younger version of Donna. This allowed Mamma Mia 2 to shift between the present and the vibrant world of 1979 as a newly graduated Donna who explores relationships with Sophie’s potential fathers.

The addition of James to the cast, along with the other younger counterparts, was a breath of fresh air in Mamma Mia 2. It allowed Mamma Mia 2 to continue the youthful, free-spirited tone that was so well crafted in the first movie and also meant that Donna could still be a central part of the story in Streep’s absence. James’ addition also added more emotional undertones to the Mamma Mia movies as Sophie and Donna’s relationship became more profound, knowing that Sophie would ultimately lose her mother before the birth of her own child.

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Would Meryl Streep Return For Mamma Mia 3?

Streep’s Return Is More Likely Than Expected

Though not much is known about a potential new Mamma Mia movie, Streep seems like a likely addition to the cast of Mamma Mia 3 as she has expressed interest in reprising her role. This comes as a surprise given Streep’s previous stance on starring in sequels and her relatively brief role in Mamma Mia 2. However, an optimistic update on Mamma Mia 3 suggests that Streep seems very ready and willing to return to the role. Read Streep’s statement about Mamma Mia 3 updates below:

[A meeting is] imminent. I don’t know how they’re going to do it. They have an idea. I haven’t heard it yet but it’s in [my diary] and I’m going to hear about it pretty soon. Of course I want to do it. I think folks love it.

Although Streep’s return as Donna would be a great addition to Mamma Mia 3, the logistics of how she would be involved are still very much up in the air. However, the solution to Meryl Streep’s Mamma Mia 3 problem may come from Mamma Mia 2 and see the potential future movie use flashbacks to fill in parts of Donna’s backstory that have yet to be explored. Mamma Mia 3 may not be able to revive Donna for good, but this would be a great solution to help bring Streep’s Donna back to life once again.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Director

Ol Parker

Release Date

July 20, 2018

Cast

Meryl Streep , Andy Garcia , Pierce Brosnan , Christine Baranski , Dominic Cooper , Amanda Seyfried , Julie Walters , Colin Firth , Stellan Skarsgård , Lily James , Cher

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