Written by: Mike Laxton (February 15, 2026)

Going into I Can Only Imagine 2, I realized something surprising: before preparing for this screening, I had never actually sat down and watched the original film in full. Like many people, I knew the song. I loved the song. It had personal meaning—especially after the passing of my mom a couple of years ago and hearing it live in concert. But I didn’t fully know the story behind it.

Watching the first film ahead of this one changed that. I don’t think I’ll ever hear “I Can Only Imagine” the same way again. The depth of Bart Millard’s story, the redemption arc with his father, and the way God used pain to birth a song that would minister to millions gave new weight to lyrics that already carried so much personal significance.

But I Can Only Imagine 2 is not about the making of the song.

It’s about what happens after.

From the School Bus to the Tour Bus

Where the first movie focused on healing from the past, the sequel shifts to navigating life in the middle of calling, success, and family. As the film itself phrases visually and thematically, the journey moves “from the school bus to the tour bus,” showing MercyMe stepping into a new season of influence, responsibility, and growth.

We see Bart now married to Shannon, building a family while continuing to lead a band whose platform is expanding rapidly. Flashbacks—including appearances from Arthur Millard—serve as reminders that while healing has taken place, the past still shapes the present. That thread gives the film continuity without feeling like a retelling.

One of the strongest elements of the sequel is its focus on Bart’s son, Sam. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Sam’s journey introduces a new kind of tension—one not rooted in past trauma, but in the everyday fears and responsibilities of fatherhood. Bart’s struggle to balance ministry, touring, and simply getting his son to check his blood sugar becomes a very human portrayal of faith lived out in real time.

This is not just about being a successful artist. It’s about being a present dad.

The Tim Timmons Thread: Friendship in the Fire

A major addition to the story is Tim Timmons, portrayed with warmth and depth by Milo Ventimiglia. Initially introduced with humor—complete with tour bus pranks and lighthearted moments—Tim quickly becomes central to the emotional and spiritual arc of the film.

His relationship with Sam creates some of the movie’s most endearing scenes, including jam sessions, playful conversations, and mentorship moments that feel authentic rather than scripted. But that levity gradually gives way to gravity as Tim reveals his cancer diagnosis—arriving just as he’s preparing to become a father himself.

The film handles this tension with care, allowing space for both joy and lament. Tim’s perspective reframes suffering not as abandonment by God, but as a place where faith is refined. His reflections help shape the development of the song “Even If,” which becomes the spiritual centerpiece of the movie.

Rather than presenting faith as resolution, the film presents it as endurance—echoing the imagery of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: God doesn’t always remove us from the fire, but He is with us in it.

Music, Memory, and the World Around Them

Fans of Christian music culture will appreciate the subtle nods woven throughout the film. References to artists like U2, Jars of Clay, Rich Mullins, and Audio Adrenaline help situate MercyMe’s rise within a broader musical landscape. These touches don’t feel like cameos for the sake of recognition; they function as reminders of a movement happening alongside the band’s story.

There are also meaningful smaller appearances and connections that underscore just how relational—and surprisingly small—the industry can feel. Those moments add authenticity without distracting from the narrative.

The tour setting allows the film to explore life on the road, including the emotional distance it can create within families. One particularly memorable scene, where the band members support Sam by pricking their own fingers to stand with him in his fear of needles, blends humor and brotherhood in a way that captures the film’s heart: shared burdens create deeper bonds.

A Story About Gratitude That Doesn’t Flinch

As the story builds toward its closing performance at Red Rocks, the themes crystallize around what the film calls “unflinching gratitude.” Characters begin marking crosses on their wrists as reminders to live thankful—not just in miracles, but in suffering, uncertainty, and waiting.

By the time “Even If” is completed and performed, the emotional weight of the journey lands not as spectacle, but as testimony. This is less about musical success and more about learning to say, God is still good… even if.

Final Thoughts

I Can Only Imagine 2 succeeds because it doesn’t try to recreate the emotional beats of the first film. Instead, it tells the harder story—the one that comes after healing, after breakthrough, after the song everyone knows.

It’s about parenting, friendship, illness, calling, and perseverance. It’s about discovering that faith isn’t proven in the moment that changes your life, but in the thousands of ordinary and painful moments that follow.

For viewers who connected with the original, this sequel invites them deeper. And for anyone walking through their own fires, it offers a reminder both simple and profound:

God is present in the highs.
God is present in the lows.
And sometimes the truest worship is trusting Him… even if.

Releases: February 20, 2026 (Theatrical)

Running Time: 110 Minutes (Lionsgate/Kingdom Story Company)

Rated PG for thematic material and some language

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