The way things are looking, we could all use some good, old escapism in 2025. Going to the cinema is always a surefire way to tune out and into another world for a while—and sometimes action movies, with their gripping plots, high-octane stunts, and blockbuster qualities are the best for that.
There are dozens of exciting action movies due out in 2025, from intriguing, women-fronted spinoffs of beloved franchises to highly anticipated sequels to original assassin and espionage thrillers. Whether you love classic, big-budget action films or prefer ones that defy genre a bit, there's likely something coming soon that'll draw you to the multiplex or captivate you on streaming. Below, find the best action movies of 2025, including what's coming soon and due out later this year. (For more recommendations of titles you can watch right now, check out our list of the best action movies of 2024.)
'Back in Action'
Release Date: January 17 on Netflix
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close
Why it’s worth watching: Cameron Diaz is officially back in action after taking a hiatus from acting. The ‘90s/’00s rom-com icon leads this action-comedy alongside Jamie Foxx as a couple pulled back into the espionage work they left years ago for a quiet, domestic life together when their secret CIA identities are almost exposed. We can’t wait to see the former Charlie’s Angel in her element.
'Inheritance'
Release date: January 24
Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Rhys Ifans, Ciara Baxendale, and Kersti Bryan
Why it’s worth seeing: Phoebe Dynevor showed her erotic/workplace thriller chops in Fair Play, so we were excited to see her in an espionage movie. She leads this thriller as a young woman drawn into an international conspiracy when she learns that her father used to be a spy.
'The Gorge'
Release date: February 14 on Apple TV+
Starring: Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sigourney Weaver, Sope Dirisu, and William Houston
Why it’s worth seeing: After her incredible turn as a bona fide action star in Furiosa, we’ll watch Anya Taylor-Joy lead any action-thriller movie. She and Miles Teller play guards holding posts on the opposite sides of a mysterious gorge, which houses a secret evil. Though they don’t know what they’re protecting, they work together when it comes under threat. The screenplay for The Gorge ended up on the 2020 Black List, or the list of the best unproduced scripts, so you can bet it’ll be gripping.
'Cleaner'
Release date: February 21
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen, Taz Skylar, Flavia Watson, and Ray Fearon
Why it’s worth seeing: Martin Campbell, who directed multiple James Bond movies, including 2006’s beloved Casino Royale, is behind this high-intensity action-thriller. It’s set at a political function that’s hijacked by a group of activists, some of whom become violent and take hostages. Thankfully for the attendees, the building’s window cleaner (yes, that’s where the film gets its title), played by Daisy Ridley, is present, doing her job, and actually a “dishonorably discharged but highly trained ex-soldier.”
'Mickey 17'
Release date: March 7
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo
Why it’s worth seeing: In 2025, Bong Joon-ho finally released a follow-up to his Oscar-winning Parasite. The Korean filmmaker's latest is a highly anticipated adaptation of the sci-fi novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, about a man (Robert Pattinson) set on a mission in space who’s meant to die…and be brought back to life again and again. Bong and star Robert Pattinson cooked up some goofy madness—and a surprisingly heartwarming romance between his hopelessly devoted character and Naomi Ackie's Nasha.
'Black Bag'
Release date: March 14
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Burke
Why it’s worth watching: Cate Blanchett in a Steven Soderbergh movie? Let’s go, baby! The Oscar-winning filmmaker’s newest is about a loving married couple and spy duo (Blanchett and Michael Fassbender) who start to face off when one of them (Blanchett) is suspected of treason.
'Novocaine'
Release date: March 14
Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, and Matt Walsh
Why it’s worth watching: Anything with Jack Quaid as a romantic lead, we’re in. In Novocaine, he plays a man with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), or a rare condition in which he cannot feel any pain. He uses his condition to his advantage to transform into the action hero he never thought he’d be when his girlfriend is stuck in a dangerous hostage situation.
'Freaky Tales'
Release date: April 4
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Ben Mendelsohn, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Ji-young Yoo, and Angus Cloud
Why it’s worth seeing: This one’s for those with a deep affinity for the Bay Area—and anyone down for a wild, genre-bending ride. Set in 1987 in Oakland, California, it centers around a career criminal (Pedro Pascal) sent out on one final job to rob a Warriors player (Jay Ellis), but features a quirky cast of characters (very ‘80s punks, rappers, and a whole slew of corrupt figures, oh my!) who end up being connected.
'G20'
Release date: April 10 on Prime Video
Starring: Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Antony Starr, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Clark Gregg
Why it’s worth seeing: We’d vote for President Viola Davis, erm, her character President Danielle Sutton if she could! She’s tasked with protecting her family and world leaders at the G20 Summit in South Africa when terrorists attack—so we can only begin to fathom what incredible ass-kicking Davis does in this film.
'The Amateur'
Release Date: April 11
Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne
Why it’s worth seeing: This book-to-movie adaptation of Robert Littell’s mystery-thriller novel of the same name stars Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer on a one-man vengeance mission. He sets out to get to the bottom of a terrorist attack in London, which resulted in his wife’s death, when his bosses won’t act.
'Warfare'
Release date: April 11
Starring: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Ta, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo, Evan Holtzman, Henrique Zaga, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton
Why it’s worth seeing: Just about every one of our internet boyfriends of the past several years fills out this impressive ensemble. The promising young stars will play a platoon of Navy Seals on a 2006 mission during the Iraq War in Civil War filmmaker Alex Garland’s latest action-drama for A24, which he collaborated on with ex-Navy Seal Ray Mendoza.
'The Accountant 2'
Release date: April 25
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, J. K. Simmons, Daniella Pineda, and Allison Robertson
Why it’s worth seeing: Ben Affleck is back as Christian Wolff, the titular accountant on the autism spectrum with a knack for numbers and covering up his clients’s nefarious fraudulent records. The sequel to the 2016 box-office hit sees him and his brother (Jon Bernthal) using their innovative, illegal tactics to hunt down the killer of someone close to a Treasury agent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson).
'Thunderbolts'
Release date: May 2
Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Why it’s worth seeing: Thunderbolts officially marked the end of Marvel’s Phase Five—and you can bet it went out with a bang. The star-studded ensemble plays a ragtag team of antiheroes on government-contracted missions, with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) among their leaders. After a few stale releases from the MCU, Thunderbolts felt fresh—largely because of its thoughtful and smart depiction of mental illness.
'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning'
Release date: May 23
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, and Rolf Saxon
Why it’s worth seeing: Tom Cruise is here to save the movies! This year, he reprised his iconic, immortal role as Ethan Hunt in a direct follow-up to 2023’s Dead Reckoning, which saw him face off against an artificial intelligence program, “The Entity.” His death-defying stunts never fail to amaze.
'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina'
Release date: June 6
Starring: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves
Why it’s worth seeing: If you love the stylized John Wick films and wondered what they might look like with a female lead, look no further than Ballerina. This spinoff, set after the events of the third John Wick movie (yes, Keanu Reeves will make an appearance), is about a ballerina assassin (played by Ana De Armas) as she trains to seek revenge against her father’s death. Expect familiar faces and places, including the hotel-for-killers, the Continental Hotel in New York, to play into the plot.
'Deep Cover'
Release date: June 12
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Ian McShane, Paddy Considine, Sean Bean, and Sonoya Mizuno
Why it’s worth seeing: If you’re always up for saying, “Yes, and…” when it comes to improv, tune into Deep Cover. The crime-comedy centers around a group of improv actors hired by the London police to go undercover in a sting operation. It’s just as fun of a watch as it sounds.
'How to Train Your Dragon'
Release date: June 13
Starring: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, Murray McArthur, and Gerard Butler
Why it’s worth seeing: Get ready to return to the isle of Berk—this time more fantastical and life-like than ever. The hit animated DreamWorks series How to Train Your Dragon was adapted into live-action (no real dragons, though, unfortunately) by Dean DeBlois, who helmed the original movies. New names portrayed the Vikings/dragonriders, while Gerard Butler reprises his role as Stoick the Vast.
'F1'
Release date: June 27
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem, Sarah Niles, Lewis Hamilton, Kim Bodnia, and Samson Kayo
Why it’s worth seeing: After Formula One’s popularity has blown up over the past decade, it was inevitable that the sport would get the Hollywood treatment. This fictional action movie follows a former star driver (Brad Pitt) who quit racing due to an injury in the ‘90s, when he's brought out of retirement to train a rookie (Damson Idris).
'Heads of State'
Release date: July 2 on Prime Video
Starring: John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, and Carla Gugino
Why it's worth seeing: This action-comedy is simply a blast. John Cena and Idris Elba play the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the U.K., respectively, and they must team up when they discover they're being targeted in a global conspiracy. Expect an equal amount of laughs and explosions.
'Sovereign'
Release date: July 11
Starring: Nick Offerman, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Mann, Nancy Travis, Martha Plimpton, and Dennis Quaid
Why it’s worth seeing: You may have missed this movie, which had a limited release and went VOD shortly after, but it’s one of the most gripping action-dramas this year. Inspired by the 2010 West Memphis police shootings, it follows a father-son duo (Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay) who identify as SovCits, or members of the anti-government sovereign citizen movement, and clash with a police officer (Dennis Quaid), leading to an intense stand-off and manhunt.
'Superman'
Release date: July 11
Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, and Skyler Gisondo
Why it’s worth seeing: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s David Corenswet in his cute glasses and floppy hair, as he's the next charmer playing Clark Kent. James Gunn helms this D.C. blockbuster about the Kryptonite hero, which benefited from not being an origin story and instead being an epic, wholesome story about Superman simply wanting to do good. It also feels like one of the most timely, political superhero movies in years. We're still thinking about that squirrel scene (IYKYK).
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'
Release date: July 25
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles
Why it’s worth seeing: 2025 might've been the year superhero movies became fun again! Not only did Marvel do the damn thing with this casting (hello to all of our internet boyfriends!), but the Fantastic Four reboot leaned into a very fun, '60s-inspired retrofuturism aesthetic as it took the makeshift family on a mission to save Earth from Galactus.
'The Naked Gun'
Release date: August 1
Starring: Liam Neeson, Kevin Durand, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Pamela Anderson, and Liza Koshy
Why it’s worth watching: Action-comedy fans, rejoice! Saturday Night Live’s The Lonely Island members have seemingly taken on childhood wish-fulfillment-type projects over the years, and this reboot of The Naked Gun was Akiva Schaffer’s latest. He directs Liam Neeson as Detective Frank Drebin, famously portrayed by deadpan comedic actor Leslie Nielsen, who sets out to uncover a murder that's been made to look like a vehicular suicide. There is at least one joke per minute, many of which lean into utter ridiculousness, and some seriously hysterical long-running bits. Trust us: It's the most fun you'll have watching any movie this year.
'The Toxic Avenger'
Release date: August 8
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, Julian Kostov, and Elijah Wood
Why it’s worth seeing: A reimagining of the cult-loved ‘80s movie of the same name, this dark action-comedy stars Peter Dinklage as a custodian who comes into contact with toxic waste and transforms into a mutant vigilante. According to the official synopsis, it intends to channel “the subversive gonzo energy of the original Toxic Avenger with a contemporary twist.”
'Nobody 2'
Release date: August 15
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, Billy MacLellan, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath, Christopher Lloyd, Colin Hanks, John Ortiz, and Sharon Stone
Why it’s worth seeing: Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, known for creating the John Wick franchise, found another cult-loved action hit in 2021’s Nobody. He also penned this sequel, which finds former-assassin-turned-suburbanite Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) pulled back into his old ways while on a family vacation to a small-town theme park.
'Caught Stealing'
Release date: August 29
Starring: Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Bad Bunny, and Carol Kane
Why it’s worth seeing: Darren Aronofsky directs this adaptation of Charlie Huston’s crime novel, for which he wrote the screenplay. Set in a gritty era of Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the ‘90s, it follows a former baseball star (Austin Butler) who is lured into the criminal underground by his punk neighbor (Matt Smith). Bonus: There’s a hot romantic subplot between Butler and Zoë Kravitz’s characters.
'One Battle After Another'
Release date: September 26
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Wood Harris, and Alana Haim
Why it’s worth seeing: If a Paul Thomas Anderson movie with an all-star cast is coming to theaters, you see it. One Battle After Another marked his biggest-budgeted film to date—and he delivered. Loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's Vineland, it focuses on a facet of underground revolutionaries known as the French 75, who are determined to fight fascism, no matter what it takes. Years after a pair of fighters in love (Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor) were pulled apart, DiCaprio's character Bob Ferguson is drawn back in after their daughter (Chase Ifiniti) is kidnapped by a former adversary (Sean Penn). The action is riveting—it features one of the all-time best car chases—it's full of witty humor, and it feels like the blockbuster for our times.
'The Smashing Machine'
Release date: October 3
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk
Why it’s worth seeing: The Safdie Brothers got Adam Sandler Oscar buzz with 2019’s Uncut Gems, and now it looks like Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is turning to writer/director Benny Safdie for his turn at awards acclaim. The action/comedy star leads this sports drama about real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr, a UFC champion who struggled with substance abuse.
'A House of Dynamite'
Release date: October 24 on Netflix
Starring: Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Jonah Hauer-King, Moses Ingram, Greta Lee, and Jason Clarke
Why it’s worth seeing: Kathryn Bigelow is back with another political thriller. The cast is stacked, and they’ll likely keep us at the edge of our seats, as the logline reads, “When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.”
'Predator: Badlands'
Release date: November 7
Starring: Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Why it’s worth seeing: Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg breathed new life into the Predator franchise in 2022 with the release of Prey, an original sequel set in the world of extraterrestrial trophy hunters. While Prey was set in the 1700s, Trachtenberg is following it up with a sequel set in the distant future on a far-off planet. Predator: Badlands follows an alien after he’s cast out from his clan (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and joins forces with an android (Elle Fanning) on a grueling journey. We haven’t necessarily seen Fanning stretch her action movie star muscles yet, so we’re excited to see her flex them.
'The Running Man'
Release date: November 7
Starring: Glen Powell, Katy O'Brian, Daniel Ezra, Karl Glusman, Josh Brolin, Lee Pace, Jayme Lawson, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, William H. Macy, David Zayas, Sean Hayes, and Colman Domingo
Why it’s worth seeing: Stylish blockbuster filmmaker Edgar Wright and ultimate charmer Glen Powell? Sounds like movie magic! The two are teaming up for an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name, previously made in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. The dystopian film follows contestants on a reality show in which they’re chased by “Hunters” who are out for blood.
'Now You See Me: Now You Don't'
Release date: November 14
Starring: Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Rosamund Pike
Why it’s worth seeing: And the award for best sequel title goes to…Now You See Me: Now You Don't! All of your favorite illusionists are back, but this time around, the Four Horsemen are teaming back up and hiring some newcomers to put together the ultimate team as they set out to steal a queen diamond from a notorious underground crime family. Accordingly, the movie cast some of the most exciting up-and-comers in Hollywood: The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa, Barbie star Ariana Greenblatt, and indie favorite Justice Smith.
'Dust Bunny'
Release date: December 12
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian
Why it’s worth seeing: Mads Mikkelsen came for the title of the best Bond villain of all time as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, and he’s been dipping in and out of action starring roles ever since. This year, he’s got a horror-action movie on deck that seems like a blast. It’s for Hannibal fans, as he reteams with the series’s creator, Bryan Fuller. It’s basically your childhood nightmares come to life, as it follows an 8-year-old (Sophie Sloan) who asks her neighbor (Mikkelsen) for help getting rid of the monster under her bed.
'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
Release date: December 19
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, David Thewlis, and Oona Chaplin
Why it’s worth seeing: Thankfully, after Avatar: The Way of Water became a box-office sensation when it was released in 2022, we won’t have to wait much longer for the next Avatar film. Though details are scarce on the latest installment in James Cameron’s epic sci-fi/fantasy series, it’s set to return to Pandora, and fans have speculated it will focus on the “Ash People.”
'Anaconda'
Release date: December 25
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello
Why it’s worth seeing: Hollywood can’t seem to quit this reboot and remake era, but Anaconda makes an effort to get a little creative—and meta—with it. The action-comedy follows a team of friends attempting to remake the cult 1997 movie of the same name, only to wind up in the Amazon, stuck in the jungle, where a real snake is hunting them.