Last week, the ears of guitarists the world over pricked up when John Fusco, screenwriter of the beloved, guitar-centric 1986 film Crossroads, revealed to Guitar World that he and Ralph Macchio were developing a sequel.
The original movie centers around a young guitarist named Eugene – played by Macchio, best known his starring role in The Karate Kid – who goes on a journey of discovering the joys of the blues. After a winding series of events, he eventually finds himself in a guitar duel with Jack Butler – played by a Jackson-wielding Steve Vai – a guitarist who sold his soul to the devil for his, well, devilish abilities. It makes sense if you watch the movie, trust.
When asked by Guitar World if he’d be down to appear in a potential sequel, Vai seemed to be game. “I know Ralph wants to kick my ass,” he told us with a laugh. “Jack Butler needs his revenge!”
But earlier this week, Vai clarified that he had only heard rumors about the film, and that if it did end up happening, it was unlikely that he’d be involved.
While that’s disappointing, it does beg the question: surely, if a Crossroads 2 did come to pass, its apex would be another guitar duel. If so, who should take Vai’s place?
This question was tossed around between us GW.com muckrakers quite a bit over the past 24 hours, and we have some ideas...
Tosin Abasi has this sewn up, surely? The chops are undeniable, and he certainly fits the next-generation bill. He has past ’80s revival experience, having been the designated “air shredder” for 2020’s Bill and Ted reboot. And dude is already jacked like an end-of-level boss.
If John Fusco and co wanted to go in a different direction, Marcin plays acoustic guitar like the devil incarnate. His performances – all whiplash fretboard taps and percussive body beatdowns – are pure drama. He’d be perfect.
Nita Strauss would also embody the role. Her fluid playing nods to Vai, one of her early shred heroes, but the Alice Cooper gig could give her the edge when it comes to theatrical flair. Especially if the second film leans more into the horror of modern-day ‘vampires play the blues’ epic Sinners.
I take my casting very seriously. So, really, I’d want to know the plot, the character outline, the goddamn motivation, before I start picking players. Still, if we take our cues from the valuable lessons of the original Karate Kid Crossroads, it’s about a generic youth pulling off a virtuosic takedown in the face of devilish wizardry and unmatched resources.
However, now we’ve all become numb to YouTube mini maestros and AI-augmented influencers, I think it might be truer to our times to flip the script for Crossroads 2026 and not just make it a battle of speed. Perhaps with a working title of Crossroads 2: I'm Actually More of a Feel Player, like David Gilmour.
For my sequel, then, I can envision any number of technical titans shredding our faces off with some grating djent tones, but then picture this: Ralph Macchio Jr. (or whoever) fires back with a series of bullet-curving bends, over-dubbed by Chris Buck, Marcus King, or Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram. Cut to the villain. A solitary tear falls on the dust. Fade to black.
It would also be fun to flip the gear choices of the original Eugene, with his down-home guitar. After all, what kid is playing a US Telecaster in 2026? These days he’s more likely show up with a modded Harley Benton and a Tonex pedal. In that case, you’d need a much-maligned vintage obsessive with a bevvy of ’Bursts and lightning fretwork to play the villain. But, er... where on Earth would we find such a person?
Or maybe I would cast an actual villain. A Giacomo Turra-type influencer. Picture the scene: just as all hope seems lost for our hero, the tech glitches exposing the real player beneath, warts ’n’ all. The crowd falls silent. A whistle sounds in the distance. Then Danny Sapko crashes through the wall riding an ACTUAL STEAM TRAIN, yelling ‘Choo choo, ya bastards!’
The possibilities are endless…
The first to come to my mind was Guthrie Govan. Though he’s not the new kid on the block, his chops are, of course, otherworldly, and he’s already got the Hollywood credits! What’s a better classroom for learning cinematic shredding than in the live band of one of the greatest film composers of all time?
I’d also argue in favor of St. Vincent. She’s a virtuoso and a stylistic wildcard who can play pretty much anything – there’s not a cliché guitar lick to be found in her entire catalog. Plus, her game-changing signature guitar still looks futuristic, a decade on.
Finally, though he’s not a whole lot younger than Vai, I feel that John Petrucci should also be given consideration. We all know about his technical abilities, of course, but keep the vivid themes of Dream Theater’s music in mind – Petrucci knows how to make shredding accompany, and color, a story.
A Crossroads sequel would be pointless unless it showed just how radically guitar music has changed since the 1980s. A shred-off would be fun to watch, sure, but realistically who is going to step in and out-speed Vai’s chops in the original?
Therefore, the only answer to this question I will accept is Tim Henson. It’s a no-brainer; in fact, maybe it’s too obvious. Ralph Macchio has the sleight of hand to keep up with Vai, but what happens when Henson rocks up in his fluffy hoody and sunglasses, and starts ripping Polyphia riffs on an eight-string? If it were me, I’d probably run and hide.
Today’s pre-eminent shredder Matteo Mancuso could be a good shout if we want to keep things more conventionally virtuosic. In a wicked twist of fate, Vai was one of the earliest to champion Mancuso. It almost feels written in the stars.
Oh, and the John Mayer fan in me would also like to think he could be a dark horse contender. Let’s not forget, Mayer can shred. And if it was a stank face competition, Macchio wouldn’t stand a chance.
- Who do you think could fill Vai’s devilish shoes in a Crossroads sequel? Let us know in the comments.
