Now that you’ve seen John Wick: Chapter 4, here are 10 action franchises like it you should check out next.
Lionsgate
John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves in the lead role, is arguably one of the best action franchises of modern film history. Indeed, these three collections of films — currently sitting at four, as of this writing — are a perfect combination of vigorous fight sequences, high-octane stunts, and flawless acting. And it is just not Reeves’ magic that has made John Wick a cultural phenomenon, but the entire ensemble cast has also made sure to make these movies bigger and better in their own right.
With the recent release of John Wick: Chapter 4, which, by the way, is breaking numerous records and garnering critics and audience’s extravagant praises, the franchise has, sadly, met its inevitable conclusion. And with no news of a fifth movie confirmed just yet, lovers of action films will likely now be on an unwavering hunt for action-packed franchises that meet the standards of John Wick.
While there is a spinoff of John Wick, The Continental, on the cards to match the same energy as John Wick for the audience, there is a catch. Sadly, The Continental is not to going to happen anytime sooner than late-2023. But till then, here is the list of action franchises like John Wick you can binge next.
Universal Pictures
Nobody tells a tale of Hutch Mansell (played by Bob Odenkirk), a boring man with an unremarkable job and a collapsed marriage with unrespectful family relations. Soon, Hutch’s life changes when he and his family become victims of burglary. To keep his family safe, he decides to seek justice. Unfortunately, another set of similar unpleasant events pushes him even further on his journey of violence.
As the story proceeds, naturally, a dark truth about his past life is revealed, and the audience learns that Hutch was never really a nobody. While Nobody brought an end to Hutch’s self-actualization arc, be assured that there is a sequel in the works to keep the audience again on the edge of their seats (via Collider).
9The Equalizer
Sony Pictures
A two-parter franchise (soon to be three), The Equalizer revolves around Robert McCall (played by Denzel Washington), a retired vigilante with formidable skills. Robert has left behind his hitman days, but it looks like that life is not done with him. Throughout the films, fans see him rising to the occasion and putting his skills to better use.
In the first installment, Robert makes his life mission to bring justice to a young girl named Teri, who is being held captive by Russian mobsters. In the sequel, he avenges the death of his close friend, Susan Plummer. The Equalizer franchise will make a valuable addition to the watchlist of anyone looking to binge a John Wick-esque action franchise.
8The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Summit Entertainment
Led by Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action-filled two-part film series exploring the journey of Michael Bryce (Reynolds), a protection agent, Darius Kincaid (Jackson), a wanted criminal, and Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek), an infamous con artist. The films revolve around Bryce being a bodyguard to Darius in the first entry and to Sonia in the second. Obviously, as a Ryan Reynolds film, it harnesses the actor’s wit, but more than that, the franchise also stands justified as an action hit, with fight sequences that make it a worthy watch after John Wick.
7The Bourne Franchise
Universal Pictures
The five-film Bourne franchise is about a mysterious man (Matt Damon), who is trying to restart his life from scratch. After losing his memory under mysterious circumstances, Jason Bourne set out on a mission to answer the what and how of his life after suffering from amnesia. Sadly, for Bourne, this is not going to be an easy feat and definitely comes at a heavy price.
As the name suggests, the entire franchise focuses on people and events from Jason’s past thrown into his present and the manner with which comes to terms with them. Also, if you can’t get enough of Bourne and his actions, don’t worry, the franchise even spawned a spin-off Prime Video TV series, Treadstone, expanding the origin story of the film.
6The Punisher
Via Lionsgate
First led by Thomas Jane as The Punisher, the first entry in the two-part franchise, The Punisher, sees Frank Castle exacting vengeance on a gang who brutally murdered his family. Fueled by rage, Frank keeps no stone unturned in settling the score from his enemies. Obviously, there will be repercussions for his feisty actions, so, the next installment in the franchise, Punisher: War zone, sees the local mafia seeking revenge on Castle. Ultimately, this whole drama results in unlimited action sequences and visually appealing stunts which no doubt any action would give everything to watch.
5Taken
EuropaCorp
A three-part franchise, Taken is a tale of retired CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) putting his deadly skills to good use while he goes on several unofficial missions that have threatened his personal life. The first entry revolves around Mills going after Albanian smugglers and their boss Marko, who has kidnapped his estranged daughter on her journey to Paris.
Naturally, this isn’t enough to showcase the prowess of Bryan, so, another entry sees him and his family getting ambushed by the father of Marko, who is driven mad to seek vengeance for his son’s death. Lastly, the third installment sees Bryan working to clear off his name in a wrongly accused murder. Each installment is better than the last, and is arguably destined to send viewers on an action-filled roller coaster ride.
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4The Dark Knight
Warner Bros. Pictures
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy revolves around the DC Comics character, Batman (Christian Bale), a vigilante attempting to rid Gotham of corruption. Each of the three installments sees Bruce pitted against formidable foes and his action-filled journey of fending them off. Truly, with Nolan’s directorship, and Bale’s impressive performance, the trilogy is an evergreen visual treat to watch even after its decade of release.
3Extraction
Netflix
Led by Chris Hemsworth, Extraction is the story of Tyler Rake, a mercenary sent on a rescue mission for the big-shot son of the international crime lord. No doubt, the premise of the film sounds deadly and intriguing to fans, but, be assured, the stunts and action sequences are even deadlier than what fans could possibly think. And, naturally, the success of Extraction will not stop at its first entry — viewers will once again see Hemsworth donning the character of Rake in Extraction 2. The release date of which is set for July 2023.
2Atomic Blonde
Focus Features
Casting Charlize Theron in the lead character of Lorraine Broughton, Atomic Blonde is a story of an MI6 agent attempting to pull off an impossible mission of retrieving a list consisting of names of a special agent just when the Berlin Wall is about to collapse. The film, as many claimed, quickly soared to popularity for its action sequences, impressive costumes, and a thrilling plot. Not to miss, too, is Theron’s terrific job at bringing alive the character of Lorraine, who was given a relatable emotional arc. Good news for the fans: Lorraine is not done being an agent, per Deadline, as Theron will once again reprise the character of Broughton, but this time will be involved in an even bigger mess.
1Deadpool
Fox
Deadpool, a Ryan Reynold-led film, is yet another superhero movie that has currently two entries. The ever-funny and action-filled Deadpool, thankfully, will soon be a trilogy. In fact, the film is all prepared to even bring the fan-favorite character, Wolverine, into the picture.
The first installment sees Wade exacting revenge on people who disfigured him in the name of healing cancer, while the sequel sees him guarding a young mutant named Russell from getting killed by a time traveler. Without a doubt, both films keep true to their claim of offering a comical and high-on-action thrilling drama that action movie lovers can’t afford to miss.
