There’s a unique joy to be found in watching movie stars pull off intricate, death-defying stunts from the comfort of your air-conditioned seat. Action movies remain among the best onscreen spectacles Hollywood has to offer, and 2026’s action slate is no exception.
This year, Christopher Nolan is kicking it back to one of Western storytelling’s oldest epic tales with his adaptation of The Odyssey. Meanwhile, blockbuster franchises are set to dominate the box office, from a new Marvel Avengers team-up movie and highly anticipated DC spin-offs to reimaginings of best-selling video games. Below, we’ve put together a list of the best action movies of 2026 so far—and the most intriguing, pulse-pounding films coming out soon. (And if you’re looking for a movie to watch right now, check out our list of the best action films of 2025).
The Best Action Movies of 2026 So Far
'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die'
Release date: February 13
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple, Michael Peña, and Tanya van Graan
Why it’s worth seeing: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die marks Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski’s first film in a decade, and if anyone knows how to pull off raucous action, it’s him. The sci-fi comedy stars Sam Rockwell as a man claiming to be from the future. When he shows up at an L.A. diner, its patrons must decide whether to join him in his battle against an unwieldy A.I.
'The Bluff'
Release date: February 25
Starring: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Córdova, and Zack Morris
Why it’s worth seeing: There’s a truly regrettable lack of swashbuckling pirate epics in Hollywood right now. Luckily, The Bluff is here to get the job done. Set in the 19th century, the movie centers on a former female pirate (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who must fight to protect her family when her mysterious past catches up with her.
'Pretty Lethal'
Release date: March 25
Starring: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, and Uma Thurman
Why it's worth seeing: Ass-kicking ballerinas? We're sold. Gen-Z It girls lead this action-thriller about a troupe of dancers who must fight for their survival after they check into a mysterious inn when their bus to a competition breaks down...and armed men are on their tails. Don't expect any average dégagés and grand battements here!
'Project Hail Mary'
Release date: March 20
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, and James Ortiz
Why it's worth seeing: These days, we're extra lucky when Hollywood goes all-in on an original blockbuster—especially one with practical effects. Project Hail Mary, based on Andy Weir's best-selling novel of the same name, certainly got cinephiles into theater seats with its sci-fi thrill ride...and warmed our hearts just the same. Following a biologist/middle school teacher (Ryan Gosling) who's thrust on a dangerous mission in outer space to save the Earth, it becomes an unlikely friendship story between him and an alien who's set out to save his own planet. Gosling brings the charm, laughs abound, and you'll realize that you never knew you could feel so much for a rock.
The Best Action Movies Coming in Spring 2026
'Mortal Kombat II'
Release date: May 8
Starring: Lewis Tan, Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, and Tati Gabrielle
Why it's worth seeing: Between Super Mario Galaxy and the upcoming Resident Evil and Street Fighter films, 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for video game blockbusters. This summer’s biggest game adaptation? Mortal Kombat II, which follows MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) as he goes up against other realms’ best fighters in the bloody Mortal Kombat tournament. Will he get in enough punches to save the world from the sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han)? You’ll have to park it in your nearest movie theater seat to find out.
'Masters of the Universe'
Release date: June 5
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Kristen Wiig, and Idris Elba
Why it’s worth seeing: Masters of the Universe marks the first time that iconic superhero He-Man has graced the big screen in almost 40 years. This time around, The Idea of You’s Nicholas Galitzine plays the titular “Master of the Universe,” a young man on Earth who discovers that he’s secretly an alien prince who must reclaim his home from the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto).
The Best Action Movies Coming in Summer 2026
'Supergirl'
Release date: June 26
Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa
Why it’s worth seeing: If you saw Superman last summer, you know what wonderful, new energy DCEU boss James Gunn is pumping into the super studio. You also know how charming Milly Alcock was in the few scenes that graced the screen as her wild child version of Supergirl. All that being said, you can expect the same energy in this film about Clark Kent’s cousin. In the film, she’ll be on an intergalactic bender to celebrate her 23rd birthday—only to detour when she meets a young woman (Eve Ridley) who inspires her to set out on a journey of revenge.
'The Odyssey'
Release date: July 17
Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Anne Hathaway, Jon Bernthal, and Benny Safdie
Why it’s worth seeing: Hollywood’s preeminent blockbuster filmmaker putting his own spin on the cornerstone of Western storytelling? If that doesn’t make Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey a frontrunner for the movie of 2026, I don’t know what does. This take on Homer’s classic epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, a Trojan soldier who sets out on a years-long, battle-filled voyage to reunite with his family. Expect to see plenty more familiar faces in this mythical reimagining.
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'
Release date: July 31
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando, Tramell Tillman, and Marvin Jones III
Why it’s worth seeing: It appears power couple Tom Holland and Zendaya will be ruling the box office this summer, with the latest Spider-Man movie arriving in theaters just two weeks after The Odyssey. It follows 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, though it marks a fresh start for Peter Parker. Not much is known about the film, but the logline teases that we’ll find the hero trying to focus on college, leaving his life of crime-fighting behind—that is, until a threat endangers his friends and he’s compelled to suit up again.
'The End of Oak Street'
Release date: August 14
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery
Why it's worth seeing: Raising a family is hard enough, but raising one in between dodging hungry dinosaurs is a whole other ball game. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor lend their movie star chops to The End of Oak Street, playing parents whose suburban block is suddenly transported to a mysterious new land following a cosmic blip.
'Mutiny'
Release date: August 21
Starring: Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis, Jason Wong, Arnas Fedaravičius, Roland Møller, and Adrian Lester
Why it’s worth seeing: It wouldn’t be an action movie year without genre stalwart Jason Statham getting into scrapes with the best of them. In 2026, he stars in Mutiny, playing a man forced to go on the run after being framed for his billionaire boss’s murder. Naturally, it all leads to a vast conspiracy and all the high-speed chases an action aficionado would expect.
'The Dog Stars'
Release date: August 28
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong
Why it’s worth seeing: Icon Ridley Scott adapts Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name—and you can bet it’ll be a powerful spectacle. Set in a post-apocalyptic world out west after a virus wipes out almost all of humanity, a former pilot (Jacob Elordi), his dog, and a survivalist former marine (Josh Brolin) camp out together at an abandoned airport until they begin to wonder whether more is out there…and inevitably find their state of life threatened.
The Best Action Movies Coming in Fall 2026
'Digger'
Release date: October 2
Starring: Tom Cruise, Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, Sophie Wilde, Riz Ahmed, and Emma D’Arcy
Why it’s worth seeing: The fact that Digger is the first non-Mission Impossible or Top Gun film that one of our finest living movie stars, Tom Cruise, has made in years makes it worth the price of admission for action lovers. Although details about The Revenant director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s next movie are still largely under wraps, he has described it as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions.” A shovel is also involved somehow!
'Street Fighter'
Release date: October 16
Starring: Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Leati Joseph “Roman Reigns” Anoaʻi, David Dastmalchian, and Cody Rhodes
Why it’s worth seeing: If you’re interested in video game adaptations, this take on the famed arcade game of the same name should be on your radar. In the 2026 Street Fighter reboot, estranged street fighters Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji) are thrown back together in hopes of ending up the sole victor of the World Warrior Tournament.
'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping'
Release date: November 20
Starring: Joseph Zada, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Glenn Close
Why it’s worth seeing: Are you ready to return to the arena? Based on Suzanne Collins’s bestselling Hunger Games prequel of the same name (set between the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and the first novel), Sunrise on the Reaping depicts Katniss’s mentor Haymitch Abernathy’s gruesome time in the games. When the District 12 victor was forced to fight to the death, he was selected during the Second Quarter Quell, or when each Panem district had to submit double the number of tributes. The hype for this franchise blockbuster is real: Fans have been very vocal about how pleased they are with the casting—including A-listers like Elle Fanning, Jesse Plemons, and Kieran Culkin as younger versions of key characters Effie Trinket, Plutarch Heavensbee, and Caesar Flickerman, respectively. Not only that, just as the first film was a breakout moment for Jennifer Lawrence (who’s set to return in a cameo appearance), it should be a star-making role for newcomer Joseph Zada as young Haymitch.
'Jumanji 5'
Release date: December 11
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito
Why it’s worth seeing: The Jumanji films are back to bring their (admittedly fictional) game to the screen. More recent installments have followed a ragtag team trapped in a board game’s fantastical jungle. The only way out? To fight through its many dangers. The currently untitled fifth Jumanji movie reunites members of the wisecracking team from the last two movies, including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan.
'Avengers: Doomsday'
Release date: December 18
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Chris Evans, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, and Pedro Pascal
Why it’s worth seeing: Although Marvel’s recent output has been hit-and-miss, there’s no denying this new Avengers team-up movie is shaping up to be one of the moviegoing events of the year. In a major casting shakeup, Marvel founding father Robert Downey Jr. is back in a new role as the villainous sorcerer Doctor Doom. This time around, newer heroes like the Thunderbolts and the Fantastic Four are set to team up with longtime favorites like Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers and Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, setting the stage for a grand, multiversal showdown.
'Dune: Part Three'
Release date: December 18
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, and Robert Pattinson
Why it’s worth seeing: Lisan al-Gaib! The epic conclusion of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy is nearly here, adapting Frank Herbert's 1969 novel Dune Messiah. While Paul Atreides’s (Timothée Chalamet) fateful ascension to prevent a holy war was charted throughout the series, the final film will show the aftermath, reckoning with a young man with unchecked power. The main ensemble will return, with Jason Momoa reprising his role from the first film, Anya Taylor-Joy with likely more screentime than the second, and Robert Pattinson as the villain, Scytale.
The Best Action Movies Coming Soon in 2026
'The Adventures of Cliff Booth'
Release date: TBA
Starring: Brad Pitt, Scott Caan, Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Olyphant
Why it’s worth seeing: Brad Pitt won an Oscar for playing ‘70s stuntman Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Revisiting the character and New Hollywood onscreen would be exciting enough. This time around, though, The Adventures of Cliff Booth will be directed by David Fincher, with a script from Tarantino, setting the stage for an action-packed collaboration between two of the most acclaimed directors working today.