One of the great thrills amidst the escalating shootouts and showdowns in the original “Sicario” is Josh Brolin’s performance as Matt Graver, a CIA agent whose reckless bravado and anything-goes mentality seems to encapsulate the unpredictability of the drug war. Though his peerless co-star Emily Blunt does not return as a foil in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” Brolin faces plenty of adversity in the sequel. Graver must choose between following orders and saving a longtime friend after a fake kidnapping plot involving the young daughter (Isabela Moner) of a drug lord goes awry south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Brolin and Moner recently spoke to Moviebill about their experiences making “Day of the Soldado.” While Moner discussed what appealed to her about the role, Brolin explained how it felt almost like he was playing a different role than last time, where “this perfection, this idea of American ‘we can’t lose’ mentality is starting to crack a little bit. You start to see the humanity in him,” Brolin said.

Watch the video below for more insights from the two actors:

“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is now playing in theaters.