9 Upcoming Action Movies, Ranked by Hype

Image via Amazon MGM Published Nov 9, 2026, 9:38 PM EST Ryan Heffernan is a Senior Writer at Collider. Storytelling has been one of his interests since an early age, with his appreciation for film and television becoming a particular interest of his during his teenage years. This passion saw Ryan graduate from the University of Canberra in 2020 with an Honours Degree in Film Production. In the years since, he has found freelance work as a videographer and editor in the Canberra region while also becoming entrenched in the city's film-making community. In addition to cinema and writing, Ryan's other major interest is sport, with him having a particular love for Australian Rules football, Formula 1, and cricket. He also has casual interests in reading, gaming, and history. Sign in to your Collider account No matter what time of year it is, what cinematic trends are in vogue, and what movies have just been released, audiences always have a keen eye towards what’s coming soon in the realm of action blockbuster fun. Right now is a time of high hopes and anticipation for moviegoers who love a good, hard-hitting dose of action mayhem, with the coming months bringing everything from epic sci-fi sensations to high-octane and ultra-violent shoot-em-up spectacles. While it is difficult to quantify a set “hype meter” to adjudicate which of these films audiences are looking forward to most, everything from social media hype to trailer viewership numbers, pop-culture discourse, and industry expectation has been factored into this ranking. Needless to say, the upcoming period of late 2026 and early '27 has some great action titles that all movie lovers should be penciling into their calendars. 8 'Violent Night 2' (2026) Image via Universal Pictures After the surprise success of its 2022 predecessor, Violent Night 2 is set to present another blood-soaked Christmas miracle with David Harbour reprising his role as Santa Claus with a talent for violence. The story seems accessibly simple, with Santa himself being put on the naughty list and stripped of his magic after forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. His efforts to rediscover his festive spirit must be put on hold when he happens across a small village community being terrorized by a ruthless Russian gangster. Maintaining the same creative team as Violent Night, with Tommy Wirkola directing, Pat Casey and Josh Miller screenwriting, and modern action maestro David Leitch serving as one of the producers, those who adored the ultra-violent fun of the first movie should be gearing up for another dose of absurdist, seasonal chaos when it is released on December 4. With Kristen Bell, Jared Harris, Joe Pantaliano, and Daniela Melchoir joining the cast, Violent Night 2 is shaping up to be a delightfully depraved spin on holiday happiness. 7 'Star Wars: Starfighter' (2027) Image via Lucasfilm It may seem odd for a Star Wars movie to be so far down on any list pertaining to hype and anticipation, but it is no secret that the once medium-defining sci-fi franchise has lost a lot of goodwill over the past decade. Disney’s management of the universe has been mismanaged at best, and moviegoers have spoken with their money, as The Mandalorian & Grogu and Solo: A Star Wars Story ended their theatrical runs as box office misfires. But there is certainly cause for hope for Star Wars: Starfighter. Its story promises adventure, with Ryan Gosling set to star as a roguish pilot hired to escort a mysterious youth to a Jedi refuge planet across a galaxy still fragmented and lawless in the wake of the First Order’s collapse. The self-contained approach should certainly entice viewers, as should its relatively new, post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker setting and the ensemble cast including Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and emerging newcomer Flynn Gray. With its release scheduled for a worldwide IMAX release on May 28, 2027, Star Wars: Starfighter still has plenty of time to build momentum and greater hype heading into its premiere. 6 'The Beekeeper 2' (2027) Image via Amazon MGM Studios Amid a litany of vehicles that present his gritty action charm, The Beekeeper has emerged as Jason Statham’s best foray into the genre so far this decade. Given its fanfare and strong box office return, it is little surprise that a sequel has been produced, and judging from its teaser trailer, it’s going to indulge in even more action mayhem, stylistic excess, and delightfully bad puns from Statham’s highly trained ex-assassin, Adam Clay. While plot details can be unclear in a teaser trailer, it appears as though The Beekeeper 2 will see Clay return to service to protect U.S. President Jessica Danforth (Jemma Redgrave) when the current Beekeepers go rogue. Jeremy Irons and Emmy Raver-Lampman return, while new cast members arrive in the form of Pom Klementieff and Adam Copeland, a WWE star better known by his ring name, Edge. True action enthusiasts can rest assured that The Beekeeper 2 promises to feature all the high-octane carnage and bloody fight scenes they love from the genre, making it a must-see event when it appears in theaters on January 15, 2027. 5 'Godzilla x Kong: Supernova' (2027) Image via Warner Bros. The Godzilla x Kong franchise has been a fascinating one to watch unfold. It has struggled to gather and maintain pop-culture momentum, but there is undoubtedly an irresistible urge among the masses to watch two giant titans do battle, a point proven by 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire raking in $572 million. Unsurprisingly, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova promises to be another big-budget spectacle defined by mass destruction and the brawling brilliance of its titular heroes. The film features an impressive array of new cast members, from young stars Kaitlyn Dever and Jack O’Connell to the late, great Sam Neill in what will be one of his final film roles. However, few would deny the most intriguing addition to the roster is the film’s antagonist, SpaceGodzilla, with Kong and Godzilla having to team up to stand against the cosmic threat. Audiences can enjoy every second of the monster mayhem when Godzilla x Kong: Supernova hits theaters on March 26, 2027. 4 'Godzilla Minus Zero' (2026) Image via Toho Studios While it was made on a budget of just $10 million, the 2023 release of Godzilla Minus One took the world by storm, with the Japanese release’s emphasis on the original 1954 movie’s themes of post-war depression and exploring the trauma of the nuclear attacks through the lens of the titular monster. In fact, Godzilla Minus One was so astonishing that it even won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects despite giving up so much in the way of financing, resources, and manpower to Hollywood competitors. It is no great surprise that it has spawned a sequel, with the very imminent release of Godzilla Minus Zero on November 4 making for a must-see international blockbuster. Set two years after the events of its predecessor, it is set to follow former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamika) as he strives to safeguard his young family when Godzilla emerges from the water again. There will understandably be some who are tentative about revisiting what a perfect first film was, but with the much larger budget at its disposal, Godzilla Minus Zero is sure to be one of the defining big-screen events of the year. 3 'Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse' (2027) Image via Sony Pictures Releasing It may still be a long while away, with audiences having to wait until June 18 before they can finally see it, but there is no doubt that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is already one of the most anticipated releases of 2027. It will mark a touch over four years since Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters and ended with an agonizing cliffhanger. Audiences have had to wait longer than first thought, but if anything, those delays have only heightened the hype. All but certain to carry on directly from where Across the Spider-Verse ended — Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) falling in with, and then being rejected by, a multidimensional creed of Spider-people — Beyond the Spider-Verse is expected to give an epic ending to what has been an awe-inspiring trilogy. The marriage of high-energy storytelling with incredible animated visuals and meaningful, complex characters has got movie lovers of all ages eagerly awaiting June 18 to see how the story ends. 2 'Avengers: Doomsday' (2026) Image via Marvel Studios From one superhero blockbuster to another, Avengers: Doomsday promises to be yet another record-breaking box office sensation from the MCU, with it already surpassing $125 million through presales around the world. It marks the first major crossover film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Avengers: Endgame’s seven years prior, and needless to say, superhero fans couldn’t be more excited. Combining some of the franchise’s oldest and most iconic heroes with newer superhero squads, Avengers: Doomsday is set to unfold as the Avengers join forces with the Thunderbolts and mighty heroes from alternate universes to stand against Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.). While there are still some raised eyebrows over Downey Jr.’s return to the franchise in a new role, there is little doubt that Avengers: Doomsday will be a box office juggernaut and one of the defining blockbuster releases of the holiday period. COLLIDERInteractive Six heroes on file Movies/Marvel/Hero Match Spider-Man Daredevil Iron Man The Punisher Thor Captain America COLLIDER COMICSNo. 1 Collider · Marvel Which MCU HeroAre You? Ten questions · six heroes · one destiny Six heroes. One destiny. Ten questions to work out which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, your values and your fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly or thunder your way to glory?Find your hero Question 01 of 10MOTIVATION 01 What drives you to do what is right? Pick the one that feels most like you. AWith great power comes great responsibility. I protect the people who cannot protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience. Justice has to be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, if I am honest. But I learned that other people depend on me now. DThe system failed. Somebody has to make sure the guilty pay. EDuty to the innocent and honor to my name. I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with: freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 02 of 10YOUR CITY 02 It is 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you would think. ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighborhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading the suit with a cold cup of coffee going to waste nearby. DStaking out a target I have been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run. I was up at four. Could not sleep. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 03 of 10CONFLICT STYLE 03 How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What is yours? AWeb them up and leave them for the police. Again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their whole operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure there is no third escape. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honor demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, bring them in by the book even when that is harder. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 04 of 10SECRET IDENTITY 04 How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask, or the lack of one, says everything. AEssential. The people I love would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical. The mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated. I announced myself to the world and I would do it again. DI am a ghost. The less anyone knows about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There is no hiding it. FI do not hide, though I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 05 of 10LOSS AND GRIEF 05 You lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it. AWith guilt that never fully goes away. It pushes me to do better every single day. BI channel it into purpose. Their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I am only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I am not the same person I was before. EWith a warrior's grief. I honor them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 06 of 10TEAM DYNAMICS 06 What is your role when you work with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you really are. AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work, and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI do not do teams. I am more effective on my own, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter. I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of the battle. FThe leader. I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure nobody gets left behind. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 07 of 10MORAL CODE 07 Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are. AClearly. I do not kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, though I have come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically. I do what is necessary to protect people, including the hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice. The system just will not admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned rather than automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles we become the thing we fight. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 08 of 10EVERYDAY LIFE 08 When you are not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story. AJuggling school, a part-time job, and trying not to let my friends down. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the street. CRunning a global company, attending galas, pretending I sleep enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world. Coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 09 of 10FEAR 09 What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful information, as long as you are honest about what yours is. AThe people I could not save, and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming, and whether my tech is good enough for them. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I made my choices. EWhether I am truly worthy. Of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where nobody stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Next Question 10 of 10FINAL STAND 10 The battle is lost. You are outnumbered, outgunned and exhausted. What do you do? This is the tiebreaker. Choose carefully. ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat, and keep going. CTrigger the emergency protocol I built for exactly this. Always have a plan. DI do not accept that it is lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. As long as I can stand, it is not over. ← Back Keys 1 to 6 or A to F · Enter to advance Reveal my hero Identity confirmedYour MCU hero is Spider-Man Queens, New York Responsibility is not something you chose. It found you, and you never put it down. You carry the weight of the world on shoulders younger than they should have to be: funny, loyal and endlessly self-sacrificing. You do the right thing not because it is easy but because nobody else will. Whether it is a mugging two streets over or a crisis across the multiverse, you show up. Great power demanding great responsibility is not a slogan to you. It is the code you live by, even when it costs you everything. Why this is you You show up for the small stuff nobody is watching. You joke through fear rather than letting it stop you. You take the loss personally, every time. From the Collider file Tom Holland was introduced mid-fight in Civil War in 2016, with no origin story needed. No Way Home passed 1.9 billion dollars and became the biggest release of the pandemic era. Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrived in 2026, his fourth solo outing in the MCU. Shows up Carries the guilt Jokes through it Daredevil Hell's Kitchen, New York You looked into the dark and decided not to become it. That decision gets made again every night. You fight in the space between law and chaos, steered by a moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk. You use every tool you have, your mind, your body and your faith, to protect the people the system overlooks. You have come close to the edge and stepped back from it more than once. Matt Murdock's split, champion in the courtroom and devil in the alley, mirrors your own: relentless, conflicted and unwilling to stop. Why this is you You work the problem legally first and physically second. You hold a line you have genuinely wanted to cross. You take the cases nobody else will touch. From the Collider file Charlie Cox's 2015 series opened with a one-take hallway fight that reset the bar for TV action. Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin crossed into Hawkeye and Echo before the two reunited on screen. Daredevil: Born Again brought the pair back, and a second season followed in 2026. Fights the dark Keeps the faith Never stops Iron Man Stark Industries, Malibu You started out protecting yourself. Somewhere along the way the world became your problem. Brilliant, driven and occasionally insufferable, but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem. You lead with your mind and back it with resources, invention and a stubbornness that edges into heroism. You began looking out for yourself and ended up carrying everyone else. Tony Stark's arc from ego to sacrifice is your arc too. You build, you plan, and when the moment comes you are willing to give everything. Why this is you You solve it with the thing you built last night. You would rather be useful than liked. You have a contingency for the contingency. From the Collider file The 2008 film launched the entire MCU on a casting choice the studio considered a real risk. Much of Robert Downey Jr.'s dialogue was improvised, the closing line included. Announcing himself at that press conference threw out the secret-identity rulebook for a decade of films. Builds the answer Ego to sacrifice Always has a plan The Punisher New York City What is left after the fire is not broken. It is narrowed down to one thing. You went through something that would break most people, and it did change you, completely. What remains is unyielding and operates by a code forged in grief. You do not ask forgiveness and you do not expect thanks. You looked at a corrupt, broken world and decided to do something about it whatever it costs. Frank Castle's war comes out of love bent by loss, and so does yours. The world may never agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute. Why this is you You finish what you start, with no appetite for ceremony. You keep your circle small and your mission smaller. You accept being the villain in somebody else's telling. From the Collider file Jon Bernthal arrived in Daredevil's second season in 2016 and earned a two-season show of his own. The character was created in 1974 by Gerry Conway, John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru, as a Spider-Man antagonist. Bernthal returned in Born Again, with a Disney+ special following on from it. Forged in grief No forgiveness asked Absolute Thor Asgard, the Nine Realms Worthiness is not a thing you are given. It is a thing you keep earning. Powerful, proud, and on a long journey toward being worthy of the legend you carry. You lead with strength, and you learned, sometimes painfully, that the real thing comes from humility and growth instead. You are larger than life and more vulnerable than you let on. Thor's story is a long transformation, from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to someone people genuinely love. You bring the storm when it is needed and the warmth when that matters more. Why this is you You go first, and loudly. You take the lesson, eventually. You are the morale of the room as much as its muscle. From the Collider file Chris Hemsworth nearly missed the part. His brother Liam got further in the process at first. Taika Waititi's Ragnarok reinvented the character through heavy on-set improvisation. Hemsworth has headlined four Thor films, from 2011 through to 2022. Brings the storm Still earning it Warmer than he looks Captain America Brooklyn, New York Strength was never the point. Refusing to move was the point. You believe in something bigger than yourself, and you fight for it even once the world has moved on and nobody else will. You do not bully the small guy and you do not stop when it gets hard. Steve Rogers did not become a hero when he got the serum. He already was one, and so are you. Your strength is not in your fists, it is in refusing to compromise what is right whatever that costs. In a world of people taking the easy road, you are the one who stands back up. Why this is you You say the unpopular thing in the room where it costs you. You hold the plan together when it starts coming apart. You get back up. That is the whole trick. From the Collider file Chris Evans turned the role down more than once before finally taking it. The Winter Soldier recast the series as a political thriller and is still held up as its best. Anthony Mackie took over the shield and led Brave New World in 2025. Holds the line Stands back up No compromise Power readout · your top three 1 2 3 ↻ Retake the quiz Copied to your clipboard Issue closed byCOLLIDERCollider.com · The Marvel Desk 1 'Dune: Part Three' (2026) Image via Warner Bros. Pictures Three years ago, the world eagerly anticipated “Barbenheimer,” the dual release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023. We could be about to see something that makes a similar impact on pop culture while completely devastating box office records. In an event already being dubbed “Dunesday,” the fiercely anticipated Dune: Part Three will be released alongside Doomsday on December 18, 2026. With both previous movies in the series being adored as two of the defining blockbuster sensations of the decade so far, Dune: Part Three is expected to be a monumental financial, cultural, and critical success, especially with Denis Villeneuve basing it on Frank Herbert’s far darker and more cynical Dune: Messiah. The added significance of it being Villeneuve’s final project in the Dune franchise only intensifies the pre-emptive excitement. Dune: Part Three is set to mark the end of the trilogy and deliver an end to Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) bitterly complicated arc. If they can pull it off while maintaining the astonishing visual and aural display of the first two movies, it could well be the biggest cinematic event of the decade, let alone the year. Dune: Part Three Release Date December 18, 2026 Director Denis Villeneuve Writers Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Frank Herbert Cast Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Robert Pattinson, Lea Seydoux, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, Ida Brooke, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem