In an interview with Netflix's Tudum, co-director Joe Russo and star Millie Bobbie Brown (Michelle) opened up about the ending. They do not reveal Christopher's fate outright, but they do explain why Michelle needed to let go. Both reflected on Michelle's relationship with Christopher (Woody Norman), while Russo emphasized the movie's overall message. Though technology may be increasingly present in the day-to-day lives of regular people, he believes that it is important to stay connected away from computer screens. Check out their comments below:

Russo: We were thrilled over the fact that we could focus part of that climax simply on the relationship between Michelle and Christopher, the brother-sister relationship, because the movie is so much of a journey toward that moment for both of those characters.

Brown: Michelle knew there was something missing within her life [after her family died in the car accident]. Once she realizes her brother is out there, I think she has this really beautiful journey … ‘I must find him. I must get him back to me.’ Toward the end, she realizes that in order to get him back, she has to let go of him and him for who he was. I think that letting go was very therapeutic and cathartic for her. It’s exactly what she needed to move forward in her life.

Russo: Technology has incredible positives and can have an incredible impact on society, but it has tremendous negatives, and those negatives include being addicted to it or using it to disconnect from others around you. And the more we do that, the more we find that we don’t treat each other as well, and we can’t communicate as well with one another. If there’s any message in the film, it’s to stay connected to the people around you.

What These Messages Mean For The Electric State

Christopher Is Essential To The Story

Michelle and Christopher's struggle for freedom and an eventual reunion is the story's major underlying theme. While the movie does replicate the book's conclusion where Christopher's neurocaster is unplugged, there is uncertainty about whether he actually survived. The book itself opens the possibility that Christopher could have survived without the device. However, it's clear that Christopher was the only way for Michelle to free herself, and Christopher also sought to escape the turmoil of life as the sole power source in the digital world. This ending puts the Russos' message about technology into context, proving just how damaging it can be to familial relationships.

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Due to questions about Christopher's fate, it's unclear whether the Russo Brothers or anyone in cast are planning any follow-up or continuation in the universe. However, the filmmakers have previously expressed interest in expanding the universe in some capacity, although it may not necessarily be a sequel. The franchise's fate would ultimately be based on the movie's reception and viewership success on Netflix. Unfortunately, the reviews for the sci-fi movie have been disappointing, although audiences seem to respond more positively.

Our Take On The Electric State's Messages

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