If you’re into the adrenaline of watching all sorts of weapons – including the human fist – explode on screen in action movies, Daniel Rutledge’s dirty dozen of under-the-radar pics coming in 2025 is made for you.
No matter what terribleness happens in the real world over the next 12 months, we’re going to have plenty of great escapes into movie world—and among the upcoming slate of cool movies is some seriously awesome action.
If you’re reading this you’ll already be anticipating Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Joseph Kosinski’s F1, the new Superman and Fantastic Four movies, and the fact we might even get James Cameron’s next Avatar if he doesn’t delay this one for 13 years again. John Wick is also returning, not as the lead character but in a pass-the-torch type role that we hope rules just as hard as his four movies have so far.
But beyond the more obvious Hollywood big budget outings is a rear guard of mean-as looking shit you are probably less familiar with. Here is the dirty dozen: of the 2025 movies set to focus on fists, bullets and blades, these are the 12 most exciting.
Havoc
It’s wild that The Raid 2 came out over 10 years ago and the only movie Gareth Evans has released since is folk horror Apostle, but here we are. Finally, finally we’re getting a new action movie from this genre-evolving master, which he describes as “a blistering, fast-paced action-thriller with nods to the Hong Kong cinema that I grew up watching”. Tom Hardy stars as a “bruised detective” who must brutally lay waste to many bad guys amid a criminal underworld from which he’s trying to rescue a politician’s estranged son.
The Prosecutor
Donnie Yen directs this hard-edged action thriller as well as stars in it as a cop-turned-lawyer-turned-vigilante who is forced to fight injustice and corruption with violence. The trailer gives glimpses of the 61-year-old (!) delivering some of his classic awesome moves and getting into some gun combat, as well as what looks like some very cool car action. It also teases what may be the coolest fight scene onboard a moving subway train since that of Scott Adkins in Ninja.
War 2
Although no official trailers or stills are out for this yet, for an idea check out this look at the previous 2019 film, which is an intensely homoerotic, high-octane barnburner seemingly inspired by both the Mission: Impossible and Rambo franchises. Fans of RRR will be pleased to see its star N.T. Rama Rao Jr join in the fun here, most likely bromantically involved with heartthrob Hrithik Roshan, who is reprising his role as Major Kabir Dhaliwal to once again violently save India from the bad guys.
Visiting my brother @jasonstatham on set of his new “LEVON’S TRADE” 🎬🎥
Had so much fun and it is so inspiring to hear from one of the biggest movie stars in the world how he approaches the craft. Big thanks to Jason and his team, @therealcjlong and director @davidayermovies pic.twitter.com/fnIaGXigbH— Rico Verhoeven (@RicoVerhoeven) May 16, 2024
Levon’s Trade
Jason Statham has been a reliable B-grade action star for decades now and when he isn’t in his dreary ‘comedic’ mode he’s a pleasure to watch kick arse. In this David Ayer film he plays a former black ops agent forced to kill a bunch of silly baddies who disturb his peaceful retirement, like they always bloody well do. It’s written by Ayer and Sylvester Stallone, who adapted it from a well-reviewed 2014 Chuck Dixon novel in which the titular lead has been described as “a redneck cousin to Jack Reacher and Mack Bolan”.
Love Hurts
Ke Huy Quan finally getting the roles he’s always deserved is mint and his tremendously endearing screen presence will surely elevate this film’s extremely familiar setup. Quan plays a former hitman forced to kill a bunch of silly baddies who disturb his peaceful retirement, like they always bloody well do. This is the directorial debut of Jonathan Eusebio, who has been homies with Chad Stahelski and David Leitch since the ‘90s and choreographed the fights in the likes of John Wick and Black Panther. This is also a little Goonies reunion as Sean Astin also features, while the guy who played Chunk apparently also came to set one day. Hey you guys!
Sinners
Sure, this won’t strictly speaking be a pure action movie, but come on, how breathtaking is it when buff, moustached, filthy singlet adorned Michael B Jordan opens up with the Tommy Gun while not blinking and looking about as intensely determined as a man possibly can? Very breathtaking. Ryan Coogler’s 1930s Jim Crow-era South set supernatural arse kicker will be timely and hopefully cathartic in 2025.
The Furious
The extraordinary array of pan-Asian talent that has come together for this would have any serious action fan excited, but what really has me frothing is the lofty ambitions of the filmmakers. “We wanted to push the boundaries of a martial arts film. I’m satisfied that we are doing that,” director Tanigaki Kenji told Variety, while producer Bill Kong added: “I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world.” The cast includes Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, JeeJa Yanin, Yang Enyu and Yayan Ruhian.
Nobody 2
Bob Odenkirk may not be a martial arts expert or have much of an action movie CV to speak of, but holy shit if his 2021 turn in Nobody didn’t make for one of the most exhilarating action comedy flicks of the decade. The sequel teams him up with hyper-violent, splatter action filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, who posted the bloody first official still on Instagram along with this caption: “We can’t wait to show you what fire & chaos he’s about to set.” Well we can’t wait to see it, Timo.
Diablo
This marks the fourth time Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror have starred in a film together following Undisputed III: Redemption, Savage Dog and John Wick: Chapter 4. That’s quite the trio of action flicks, and of the new one Adkins said: “Diablo turned out great. Some of the best fights and action we have ever done.” This is directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, who has worked with Zaror on five films including Redeemer and Fist of the Condor.
The Running Man
Edgar Wright tackling the second big-screen adaptation of this Richard Bachman Stephen King novel is a fascinating prospect. Despite his comedic expertise, Wright is committed to crafting a sinister and serious version faithful to the source material—starkly contrasting the Arnold Schwarzenegger version which arguably marked the apex of late ’80s action cinema’s flamboyant, camp-laden self-satire. I can’t wait to see Glen Powell in the lead role, and I’m especially eager to see the dope, literal middle-finger ending of the book on the big screen.
Without Remorse
Andy On and Philip Ng reunite on this “hardcore martial arts actioner” along with a couple of other supreme fight specialists with Lui Koon-Nam directing. Ng, while promoting his awesome Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, told Screen Anarchy: “We’re pretty satisfied with the fight scenes. Obviously, the budget wasn’t as big as Twilight of the Warriors, but we got a lot of my buddies on the project: Andy On, Sammy Hung—Sammo’s son—and Tiger Chen.”
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Great films often spawn shitty sequels, but average films can, sometimes, lead to superior follow-ups. I’m hoping this is an example of the latter and it very well could be. The trailer teases some cool heist business (naturally), but also a gorgeous looking car chase complete with vehicle-to-vehicle gunfighting. O’Shea Jackson Jr is getting ever more interesting as an actor while Gerard Butler is looking sincerely rough in a haggard, Mel Gibson-ish way, which is good, and in this sequel his cop becomes a crook for some reason, which is great. Fingers crossed for Pantera on the soundtrack.
