Why 2024 Will Be Great for Action Movies

2023 was a surprisingly underwhelming year for the action genre. For every John Wick: Chapter 4 that blew audiences away, several underwhelming entries into beloved franchises failed to capture the magic of their predecessors. Fast X, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, and even Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny didn’t leave a significant mark on the box office. Even new franchises and standalone stories, like Dungeons & Dragons and David Fincher’s The Killer, felt underwhelming for many.

Thankfully, 2024 has the potential to put one of the oldest genres in cinematic history back on track. Many of the biggest franchises, including Mad Max and the MCU, are returning. In addition, there are dozens of independent and standalone action movies to get audiences excited in the new year. 2024 could be the best year for action movies in a long time.

The MCU, Ghostbusters, Mad Max, and More Are Returning in 2024

2024 is an opportunity for big-budget franchises to get back on their feet after the progressive downturn of the last few years. The biggest release of 2024 for many is Deadpool & Wolverine, which will see the long-awaited on-screen partnership of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s iconic characters. Deadpool has been the rock of X-Men movies in recent years, keeping FOX’s X-Men universe alive after the drastic decline in quality that proceeded X2. Add in the return of Wolverine, who was last seen in James Mangold’s genre re-defining Logan, and many fans are hoping Deadpool & Wolverine can help put the Marvel Cinematic Universe back on track.

2024 also brings the long-awaited prequel to one of the greatest action movies of the 21st Century with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road saw George Miller return to the franchise after a 30-year absence and take home six Oscars for his work. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was confirmed in October 2020 and has seen many delays over the last four years. However, its release is quickly closing in, and audiences cannot wait to see George Miller bring the iconic post-apocalyptic franchise back to the big screen.

In fact, 2024 has already gotten off to a great start, as Road House (a remake many audiences have already written off) has received surprisingly good reviews following its debut at SXSW Film Festival. The remake stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the bouncer of a roadhouse in the Florida Keys and gives UFC megastar Connor McGregor his acting debut as the film’s violent villain. The Road House reviews have called the film action-packed and state that Conner McGregor delivers a surprisingly good (and occasionally scene-stealing) performance.

Several other major action franchises are releasing new installments in 2024. Kung Fu Panda 4 was recently released and saw Jack Black return as the lovable Po. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire also brings back old faces for the fifth movie in the franchise. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also hits theaters in May and marks the fourth installment in the rebooted franchise. The film is also the start of a new trilogy set 300 years after Caesar’s story.

2024 Is Stacked With Independent & Animated Action Movies

While there are a lot of major franchises that will keep audiences entertained in 2024, the true stars of the action genre will come in the form of standalone and independent films.

The last few years have seen stunt performers beginning to get the recognition they deserve. This year’s Oscars saw Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt present a special commemoration for the stunt community ahead of their new movie The Fall Guy. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman, with Emily Blunt playing the director, who is forced to go on a dangerous mission to rescue the film’s lead (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson). This remake of a beloved ’80s action show is a love letter to the stunt community, and The Fall Guy‘s first reviews from SXSW have left it with a solid 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.

After the immense success of Everything Everywhere All at Once, Studio A24 is delving further into the action genre this year, and the charge will be led by Director Alex Garland. Civil War is set in a dystopian future America, where a team of war journalists desperately race to reach Washington DC before the rebel factions can attack the White House. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as the lead, with Jesse Plemons portraying an unsettling soldier and Nick Offerman as the president.

The latest addition to Nicolas Cage’s increasingly strange filmography sees the icon return to the action genre (but sadly not for a new National Treasure movie). Arcadian sees Nic Cage’s Paul lead his twin sons in a fight against the nocturnal creatures that decimated life on Earth. The film also held its premiere at SXSW festival and boasts a flawless 100% on Rotten Tomatoes – an all-time high for Nic Cage. Cage discussed the film’s family-orientated concept with Den of Geek at SXSW, saying, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if this little family nucleus was contending with a post-apocalyptic environment and with an evolving species that was there to wipe us out?”

Of course, we have yet to see the quality of the aforementioned films, as well as those that are still to be announced for 2024. But this year’s slate of action movies has the potential to save franchises and be the best in recent history.