The Best Action Movies to be releases in 2021

Top Upcoming Action Movies 2021 & 2022 Trailer Compilation

1/ Wrath of Man is an upcoming American action thriller film directed by Guy Ritchie, from a script he co-wrote with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, and is based on the 2004 French film Cash Truck by Nicolas Boukhrief ^[2]. It is Ritchie’s fourth directorial collaboration with lead actor Jason Statham, following Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000), and Revolver (2005). Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Laz Alonso, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei, Eddie Marsan, and Scott Eastwood also star.

2/ Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard is an upcoming American action comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes and written by Tom O’Connor and Brandon and Phillip Murphy. It is a sequel to the 2017 film The Hitman’s Bodyguard and is set to star Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Frank Grillo, Richard E. Grant, Tom Hopper, Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman.

3/F9 (also known as F9: The Fast Saga or Fast & Furious 9) is an upcoming American action film directed by Justin Lin, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Casey. It is the sequel to The Fate of the Furious (2017), the ninth main installment, and the tenth full-length film released overall in the Fast & Furious franchise. The first film since Fast & Furious 6 (2013) to be directed by Lin and the first since 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) not to be written by Chris Morgan, the film will star Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron.

F9 was originally scheduled for worldwide release in April 2019, but was delayed several times, first due to the releases of Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and No Time to Die (2021), and then the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now officially scheduled to world premiere in South Korea and Taiwan on May 19, 2021, and is set to be released in the United States on June 25, 2021.

4/Those Who Wish Me Dead is an upcoming American neo-Western survival action thriller film directed by Taylor Sheridan with a screenplay by Michael Koryta, Charles Leavitt, and Sheridan, based on Koryta’s novel of the same name.^[1] The film stars Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hoult, Finn Little, Aidan Gillen, Medina Senghore, Tyler Perry, Jake Weber, and Jon Bernthal.

Those Who Wish Me Dead is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 14, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures under the New Line Cinema banner, both in theaters and on HBO Max.

5/Top Gun: Maverick is an upcoming American action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie and a story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks.^[6] It is the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun. The film stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. Cruise and Kilmer reprise their roles from the first film.

The film is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States and Canada on November 19, 2021, by Paramount Pictures.^[7] It will also be available to stream on Paramount+ 45 days after its theatrical debut. It was originally scheduled for release on July 12, 2019 but was postponed to “allow the production to work out all the complex flight sequences”.^[8] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling conflicts, the film received further delays.^[9][7]

6/Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (also known simply as Without Remorse), is an upcoming American action thriller film directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples. It is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Tom Clancy and a spin-off of the Jack Ryan film series. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Luke Mitchell, Jack Kesy, Brett Gelman, Colman Domingo and Guy Pearce.

Originally produced and set for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon Studios acquired the rights and will release it on Prime Video on April 30, 2021.^[3]

7/The Suicide Squad is a fictional antihero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, created by John Ostrander, debuted in Legends #3 (January 1987).

The modern incarnation of the Suicide Squad is Task Force X—a team of incarcerated supervillains who undertake high-risk black ops secret missions in exchange for either parole, work release, and/or reduced prison sentences. Regardless of abilities and talent, every member of the squad is expendable, deniable, and it is expected that not many will return. As expendable assets, all members are fitted with an explosive device in their neck to assure obedience. The Suicide Squad’s name alludes to the dangerous nature of their missions. The team is based out of Belle Reve Penitentiary under the directorship of Amanda Waller.

Various incarnations of the Suicide Squad have existed throughout the years as depicted in several self-titled comic book series, from its origins in the Silver Age, to its modern-day Post-Crisis reimagining, to the current version that was introduced in 2020. The current incarnation of the team appears in the sixth volume of the Suicide Squad comic series, and the recurring members include Enchantress, Katana, Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot and Harley Quinn.

8/Black Widow is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Cate Shortland and written by Eric Pearson from a story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson, and stars Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow alongside Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Set after Captain America: Civil War (2016), the film sees Romanoff on the run and forced to confront her past.

Development of a Black Widow film began in April 2004 by Lionsgate, with David Hayter attached to write and direct. The project did not move forward and the film rights to the character reverted to Marvel Studios by June 2006. Johansson was cast in the role for several MCU films beginning with Iron Man 2 (2010). Marvel and Johansson expressed interest in a solo film several times over the following years, before Schaeffer and Shortland were hired in 2018. Benson and Pearson were added later. Filming took place from May to October, in Norway, Budapest, Morocco, Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom, and in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia.

Black Widow is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 9, 2021, simultaneously in theaters and through Disney+ with Premier Access. It will be the first film in Phase Four of the MCU, and was delayed three times from an original May 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

9/Free Guy is an upcoming American science fiction action comedy film directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn and a story by Lieberman. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi.

Free Guy is scheduled to be theatrically released in IMAX in the United States on August 13, 2021 by 20th Century Studios. Its release had been pushed back three times from a July 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

10/The King’s Man is an upcoming period action spy film directed by Matthew Vaughn from a screenplay by Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek and a story by Vaughn. The third instalment in the Kingsman film series, which is based on the comic book The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the film serves as a prequel to 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.

The King’s Man is scheduled to be released on December 22, 2021, by 20th Century Studios, delayed several times from an original November 2019 release date, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11/ Mortal Kombat is an American media franchi /se centered on a series of video games, originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The development of the first game was originally based on an idea that Ed Boon and John Tobias had of making a video game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, but as that idea fell through, a fantasy-themed fighting game was created instead, nonetheless paying homage to him with movie character Johnny Cage, whose initials and personal style resemble Van Damme’s. Mortal Kombat was the first fighting game to introduce a secret fighter, reached if the player fulfilled a set of requirements.

The original game has spawned many sequels and spin-offs consisting of several action-adventure games, as well as a comic book series and a card game. Movie producer Lawrence Kasanoff licensed the rights to the game in the early 1990s and produced the first movie of the franchise. Kasanoff also produced the second movie, animated TV series, live-action TV series movies, the first one million platinum-selling album and a live-action tour. Mortal Kombat has become one of the most successful fighting franchises in the history of video games and one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

The series has a reputation for high levels of graphic violence, including, most notably, its Fatalities (finishing moves allowing the player to finish off their defeated opponent). Controversies surrounding Mortal Kombat, in part, led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board video game rating system. Early games in this series were also noted for their realistic digitized sprites and an extensive use of palette swapping to create new characters. Following Midway’s bankruptcy, the Mortal Kombat development team was acquired by Warner Bros. Entertainment and reestablished as NetherRealm Studios.

12/Dune is a 1984 American epic science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch and based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan (in his film debut) as young nobleman Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco Studios in Mexico City and included a soundtrack by the rock band Toto, as well as Brian Eno.

Set in the distant future, the film chronicles the conflict between rival noble families as they battle for control of the extremely harsh desert planet Arrakis, also known as “Dune”. The planet is the only source of the drug melange—also called “the spice”—which allows prescience and is vital to space travel, making it the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe. Paul Atreides is the scion and heir of a powerful noble family, whose inheritance of control over Arrakis brings them into conflict with its former overlords, House Harkonnen. Paul is also a candidate for the Kwisatz Haderach, a messianic figure in the Bene Gesserit religion. Besides MacLachlan, the film features a large ensemble cast of supporting actors, including Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, Dean Stockwell, Virginia Madsen, José Ferrer, Sting, Linda Hunt, and Max von Sydow, among others.

After the novel’s initial success, attempts to adapt Dune as a film began in 1971. A lengthy process of development followed throughout the 1970s, during which Arthur P. Jacobs, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Ridley Scott unsuccessfully tried to bring their visions to the screen. In 1981, executive producer Dino De Laurentiis hired Lynch as director.

The film was a box office bomb, grossing $30.9 million from a $40 million budget, and was negatively reviewed by critics, who heavily criticized the screenwriting, lack of faithfulness to the source material, pacing, direction, and editing, although the visual effects, musical score, acting, and action sequences were praised. Upon release, Lynch disowned the final film, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut privilege. At least three versions have been released worldwide. In some cuts, Lynch’s name is replaced in the credits with the name Alan Smithee, a pseudonym used by directors who wish not to be associated with a film for which they would normally be credited. The extended and television versions additionally credit writer Lynch as Judas Booth. The film has developed a cult following over time, but opinion varies among fans of the novel and fans of Lynch’s films.

A new adaptation, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is scheduled for release in 2021.

13/The Batman is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Batman. Produced by DC Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig. It stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell. The Batman is set during Batman’s second year of fighting crime and follows him as he explores Gotham City‘s corruption and faces the Riddler, a riddle-obsessed serial killer.

Development of a DC Extended Universe (DCEU) Batman film began in 2014, with Ben Affleck set to direct, produce, and star, and co-write the script with Geoff Johns. After struggling with the script, Affleck stepped down as writer and director in January 2017 to focus on playing the character. Reeves took over directorial and scripting duties in February, and reworked the story to focus on a younger Batman and emphasize the character’s detective aspects more than prior films. Affleck left the project in January 2019, and Pattinson was cast that May. The film’s connections to the DCEU were subsequently eliminated. Principal photography began in London, England, in January 2020, and concluded in March 2021. Production was suspended between March and September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Batman is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 4, 2022. Its release was delayed twice from an original June 2021 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two sequels are planned, while a spin-off prequel television series is in development for HBO Max.

14/Godzilla vs. Kong is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. A sequel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Kong: Skull Island (2017), it is the fourth film in Legendary‘s MonsterVerse. It is also the 36th film in the Godzilla franchise, the 12th film in the King Kong franchise, and the fourth Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio.^[b] The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, and Demián Bichir. In the film, Kong clashes with Godzilla as humans lure the ape into the Hollow Earth to retrieve a power source for a weapon to stop Godzilla’s mysterious rampages.

The project was announced in October 2015 when Legendary announced plans for a shared cinematic universe between Godzilla and King Kong. The film’s writers room was assembled in March 2017, and Wingard was announced as the director in May 2017. Principal photography began in November 2018 in Hawaii, Australia and Hong Kong, and wrapped in April 2019. After being delayed from a November 2020 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Godzilla vs. Kong was theatrically released internationally on March 24, 2021, and in the United States on March 31, where it was released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the visual effects and action sequences, but criticism towards the script and human characters. It broke several pandemic box office records, and has grossed $390.9 million worldwide against a break-even point of $330 million, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2021. The film was also a streaming hit, becoming the most successful launch item in HBO Max’s history.

15/Jungle Cruise is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a story by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa and a screenplay written by Michael Green, Ficarra and Requa, based on Walt Disney‘s theme park attraction of the same name. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

Jungle Cruise is scheduled to be released on July 30, 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

15/ Morbius is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is intended to be the third film in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. The film is directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, and stars Jared Leto as Michael Morbius alongside Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson. In the film, biochemist Michael Morbius becomes a vampire after attempting to cure himself of a rare blood disease.

After announcing plans for a new shared universe of films inspired by Spider-Man characters beginning with Venom (2018), Sony began developing one based on Morbius. Sazama and Sharpless had written a script by November 2017. Leto and Espinosa officially joined in June 2018. Work began in earnest at the end of the year with further casting, ahead of a production start in February 2019 in London. Filming was confirmed to have been completed by June 2019.

Morbius is scheduled to be released in the United States on January 21, 2022, delayed from an initial July 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

16/ Vanquish is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by George Gallo. It follows a single mother (Ruby Rose) who is forced to do the bidding of a retired cop (Morgan Freeman) after he kidnaps her daughter. The film was released on April 16, 2021.