Jon Bernthal's John Wick Meets Lethal Weapon Action Sequel That's A Streaming Hit Had A Perfect Genre Change

Published Aug 28, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT Padraig is a Senior Features Writer and has been part of Screen Rant since 2017. Padraig is a writer, editor and retired Game of Thrones extra who has been writing about movies and TV online for over a decade. He has also written for The Irish Times, Den Of Geek, Little White Lies and many more. It's pronounced Paw-rick, BTW. This Jon Bernthal action sequel plays like Lethal Weapon mixed with a dash of John Wick, and it evolved the franchise in a key way. Despite being a big part of the MCU, it took Bernthal a decade to make his movie debut as The Punisher with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Outside of that particular blockbuster, Bernthal doesn't have many film franchises to his name. That might be set to change, thanks to the belated success of The Accountant movies. The 2016 original starred Bernthal and Ben Affleck, but while The Accountant's ending set up a potential follow-up and it was a solid hit, it felt for a time like it wouldn't happen. Then the film suddenly became an evergreen streaming hit, which helped push a sequel into development nearly a decade later. The Accountant 2's box office response was muted, with the film grossing a shade over $100 million on an estimated $80 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). However, it's been another evergreen success story for Prime, with the sequel still being in Prime's top ten list of movies over a year after its debut. The sequel was also notable for shifting genres, and essentially became a Lethal Weapon-inspired buddy actioner. The Accountant 2 Was More Like A Buddy Comedy That's not to say The Accountant 2 doesn't take its story seriously, but now that Affleck and Bernthal's estranged brothers Christian and Brax work together, it's definitely funneir. Brax is a macho, abrasive figure, while Affleck's autistic title character is more internal and deadpan; thus, director Gavin O'Connor has great fun milking this dynamic for humor. While not quite on the same acrobatic level as John Wick, O'Connor staged some great fights and shootouts for his movie too. Jon Bernthal appeared alongside Tom Holland in both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, which became two of 2026's most successful movies. Another boon for this follow-up is that it features far more of Bernthal. Brax was a mysterious figure in the original and was established as an antagonist - until the finale revealed he and Christian were actually brothers. The Accountant 2 wisely pairs Bernthal with Affleck for most of the runtime, and while there is comedy mined from their awkward dynamic, their plot gives the film a good deal of heart. This buddy element made for a lighter experience too, and stopped it from feeling like a xerox of The Accountant. It's the best kind of sequel in a sense, because, on one hand, it pays off things that were established in the original, but it also feels like a newcomer could watch it and not feel left out. The Accountant 2's Change Worked & Is Great For The Next Movie With the continued streaming success of The Accountant 2, it feels like the original plan to make a trilogy will come to pass. O'Connor told IndieWire in 2025 he was imagining another entry being a road trip misadventure between Brax and Christian, with Anna Kendrick's character possibly returning from the 2016 original. The Accountant 3 should absolutely continue the tradition set up by the previous outing, and embrace a new genre. That doesn't mean the brothers suddenly need to face off with aliens or slashers, but the next outing could introduce a political thriller element, for one example. It could even up the romance element, with Christian and Dana reconnecting years after the first installment. It could even flip the dynamic and give Bernthal more of a lead role over Affleck. The Accountant is a unique franchise in many ways, from the odd balance of action and drama to its willingness to get weird, so it has room to experiment and try new things. The Accountant 3 feels like it will wrap up the entire series, though, so it will need to give the brothers a sense of closure next time. That said, it would be wise to keep the buddy dynamic The Accountant 2 introduced. Now he has an R-rated series to fall back on, perhaps now is the time for Bernthal to attempt a solo action vehicle of his own. Source: Box Office Mojo, IndieWire The Accountant 2 7/10 Release Date April 25, 2025 Runtime 132 Minutes The Accountant 2 sees Ben Affleck reprising his role as Christian Wolff. When an old acquaintance is murdered, Wolff enlists his estranged brother, Brax, to unravel a deadly conspiracy. Alongside Marybeth Medina, they confront a relentless network of killers determined to maintain their secrets. The Accountant Created by Bill Dubuque First Film The Accountant Latest Film The Accountant Upcoming Films The Accountant 2 Cast Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jeffrey Tambor, John Lithgow Movie(s) The Accountant, The Accountant 2 The Accountant franchise is an action-thriller series revolving around Christian Wolff, an autistic accountant with deadly combat skills, who uncovers financial corruption while confronting his past. The first film, The Accountant (2016), was a box office success, leading to a confirmed sequel set for 2025.