The 15 Most-Anticipated Action Films We Can't Wait To See In 2024
Did you know that there's only one Marvel Studios film releasing in 2024? Next year is starting to stack up, but this year, Deadpool is holding the MCU up all on his own. That means that the rest of the movie world--from kaiju heroes to bouncers--have to keep our blood pumping.
This year's slate of currently announced action movies include a few sequels to major franchises, a couple of remakes of 1980s properties, and spin-offs that we hope manage to live up to the legacies of their predecessors. Don't worry, though, there's a few originals in there, too. We'll get more explosive, epic action from Godzilla x Kong, a fresh infusion of vengeance in Monkey Man, and some action-comedy from Ryan Gosling's The Fall Guy.
Once you're caught up on this year's list of upcoming action films, make sure to check out our list of exciting upcoming horror films, as well as our overall list of 2024 films we can't wait to see.
1. Road House
Director: Doug Liman
Release Date: March 21, 2024
The original Road House imagined a world where nightclub bouncers were legends who would be hired by troubled establishments to clean them up and turn them into reputable joints. Patrick Swayze starred as Dalton, a philosopher and fighter who quite literally rips a guy's throat out in one of the movie's fight scenes. The new Road House (trailer) comes to life this spring with Jake Gyllenhaal as the itinerant monk and former MMA champ, called to clean up an incredibly divey-looking bar in the Florida Keys (moving south from the Missouri location of the original). Alongside Gyllenhaal, the movie stars Daniela Melchior and MMA fighter Conor McGregor. The original movie is beloved by moms everywhere for the dual stars of Swayze and Sam Elliott. With its cult-classic status, it feels like a weird one to remake, but the trailer suggests fun fights. If Conor McGregor's MMA charisma can translate to the screen, he could be a fun villain.
2. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Director: Adam Wingard
Release Date: March 29, 2024
After the showdown between Godzilla, King Kong, and Mechagodzilla in the last film, the two titular titans will face an even bigger threat in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (trailer). What threat could be bigger than King Ghidorah or Mechagodzilla? While we will find out the details soon enough, we know there is at least one villainous great ape in the film. Skar, a violent ruler from the Hollow Earth, has shown up in the trailers. However, the latest look at the movie also teased an ice monster called Shimo. Adam Wingard is once again directing the two titans, returning from Godzilla vs. Kong. Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle are all returning. Welcome to the new age of monsters.
3. Monkey Man
Director: Dev Patel
Release Date: April 5, 2024
While Jordan Peele didn't write or direct Monkey Man (trailer), we have him to thank for this movie hitting theaters this year. Monkey Man was reportedly set to hit Netflix, but Peele saw it and loved it so much that he swiped (bought) it out from under them to release it in theaters under his Monkeypaw brand.
Monkey Man is being described as "John Wick in Mumbai," following the story of a man who fights in an underground fight club while wearing a gorilla mask and ends up on a quest for revenge through Mumbai's underworld. This movie marks the debut of actor Dev Patel (The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire) as both a writer and director on the film in addition to starring in it. The buzz around this film is strong, and we can't wait to see it.
4. Civil War
Director: Alex Garland
Release Date: April 12, 2024
Civil War (trailer) isn't an action film in the strictest sense. It comes from director Alex Garland (Annihilation, Devs, Men), meaning that it'll likely play on some of our deepest fears about the political climate of the United States in the last decade. Even so, we expect the film to have some tense, action-packed moments.
5. The Fall Guy
Director: Wes Ball
Release Date: May 10, 2024
300 years after the War for the Planet of the Apes, ape civilizations have risen while man has regressed into a feral state. In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (trailer), a chimpanzee named Noa will search for the truth of both man and ape alike. Rise, Dawn, and War were all well-received movies, lauded for strong visual effects and bringing the titular apes to life, and we expect the same from this film when it hits theaters.
6. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Wes Ball
Release Date: May 10, 2024
300 years after the War for the Planet of the Apes, ape civilizations have risen while man has regressed into a feral state. In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (trailer), a chimpanzee named Noa will search for the truth of both man and ape alike. Rise, Dawn, and War were all well-received movies, lauded for strong visual effects and bringing the titular apes to life, and we expect the same from this film when it hits theaters.
7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Director: George Miller
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Despite the movie's title, Mad Max: Fury Road was far more focused on its female lead, Furiosa, than it was on Max Rockatansky. It also happened to be one of the best action movies in recent memory, hailing a sort of return for the now 78-year-old director, George Miller. Miller isn't done with the post-apocalyptic Australian outback, though. Furiosa captured his imagination, and he's looking to bring her story to life with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (trailer). This movie is set before she met Max, before she betrayed Immortan Joe, and before she lost her arm. Anya Taylor-Joy steps in for Charlize Theron as the younger Furiosa, while Chris Hemsworth as the villain Dementus. We aren't sure we needed a backstory for Furiosa, but then again, we weren't sure the Mad Max series needed another sequel before Fury Road. So it's time for the War Boys to head out historic on the fury road and ride to Valhalla when we witness Furiosa's tale this spring.
8. The Crow
Director: Rupert Sanders
Release Date: June 7, 2024
This spot was originally held by the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, but Lionsgate pushed the film into 2025, instead setting The Crow to release on the same date of June 7, 2024. This film will act as a reboot for the series, retelling the story of Eric Draven. In the original comic, the story begins as Eric and his fiancee, Shelly, are assaulted by a gang. Shelly dies, followed by Eric. A crow resurrects Eric so that he can seek revenge on the gang members with his newfound life and abilities. Bill Skarsgard stars as Draven, with British musician FKA Twigs starring as Shelly. The film also stars Danny Huston (half-brother of Ballerina cast member Anjelica Huston!), Jordan Bolger, Laura Birn, and Sami Bouajila. Sanders most recently directed the live-action Ghost in the Shell film starring Scarlett Johansson, and Snow White and the Huntsman.
9. Bad Boys 4
Director: Adil & Bilall
Release Date: June 14, 2024
How bad are these boys? 4 bad. 4 life. 4 good. Bad Boys 4 is probably not the final title of the film, but it is the fourth film in the Bad Boys franchise, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. That might be a bit confusing given the third movie was titled Bad Boys for Life, but that's not our fault. The film is being directed by the duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who work under the name Adil & Bilall and who helmed the previous installment.
10. Deadpool & Wolverine
Director: Shawn Levy
Release Date: July 26, 2024
Deadpool is invading the MCU, and he's not taking it lying down, though he does tell the guards that drag him away that he does have experience taking it other ways. As the only Marvel Cinematic Universe movie on the schedule for this year, Deadpool & Wolverine (trailer) reunites the merc with a mouth with his best frenemy, Wolverine, played once again by Hugh Jackman. In the first teaser for the movie, the Time Variance Authority drags Wade out of his own birthday party and into the multiverse. He proclaims himself Marvel Jesus, and then gets into a battle in front of what appears to be the 20th Century Fox sign. As he lays on the ground, next to a copy of Marvel's Secret Wars #5, a shadow with spiky hair and even spikier knuckles stands over him. It doesn't seem like things are going to go great for him at first. But it's Deadpool; they never do.
We're recounting the trailer because it acts as a sort of a blinking neon sign for the film. It screams that yes, Deadpool is being released by Disney, but it's not a "Disney movie." It's as prurient and self-referential as ever, and absolutely shatters the fourth wall. Deadpool might as well come sit next to us in the theater at this point.
11. Borderlands
Director: August 9, 2024
Release Date: Eli Roth
Director Eli Roth is best known for his horror films, but this time he's pointing his lens toward video games and action, bringing to life the fan-favorite Borderlands series. While the games feature a distinct, cel-shaded look, this is a live-action feature starring Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Greenblatt, and a reunited Kevin Hart and Jack Black, who appeared together in the two newest Jumanji films. We haven't yet seen an official trailer for the film, but we're hoping for a first look soon with the film on the way later this year.
12. Kraven the Hunter
Director: JC Chandor
Release Date: August 30, 2024
When we look at Spider-Man's rogues' gallery and wonder which ones could hold up their own films, big characters like Venom and Doctor Octopus stand out the most. We weren't expecting a film centered on Kraven the Hunter (trailer). But Sony wants to make the most of its Spider-Man characters license, and so we're getting a film based on Kraven the Hunter, releasing not even a year after an unrelated Spider-Man game starring the character. Kraven stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the Russian big game hunter, with the film reimagining him as more of an antihero pushing back against his father (Russell Crowe). While Crowe is doing a Russian accent in the movie, Sony has thankfully spared us and Taylor-Johnson the misery of having to listen to the star fake one for the duration of the film. The first trailer, released last summer, suggests a pretty gory outing for the hunter, much more in line with the Venom films than with anything Spider-Man has been part of.
13. Transformers One
Director: Josh Cooley
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Transformers One marks the beginning of a new animated trilogy set in the Transformers universe. The film is animated, but we think it's worth putting in here since it'll surely have explosions on par with the previous Transformers movies. The voice cast is star studded, too, including Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, Bryan Tyree Henry as Megatron, as well as Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburne.
14. Venom 3
Director: Kelly Marcel
Release Date: November 8, 2024
We know almost nothing about this film, other than that it once again stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and is coming out this year. Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor have also joined the cast. The plot is still under wraps. Directing the film is Kelly Marcel, who wrote this film, as well as Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. This will be her directorial debut.
15. Gladiator 2
Director: Ridley Scott
Release Date: November 22, 2024
Director Ridley Scott returns to ancient Rome and the time of the Gladiators. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius Verus, secret son of Maximus, set 15 years after the previous film. The film also stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Joseph Quinn. Musician Nick Cave reportedly wrote a version of the script that had Maximus returning from the dead, being tricked into murdering his own son, and being cursed to fight in all of the wars through time. This version, which is eerily reminiscent of the story of the original God of War on PlayStation 2, was scrapped in favor of this new story focused on Lucius.
