26 Most Anticipated Action Movies of 2020

Action movies are usually tried and tested formulas of success. Even if the stories are not that good, the camera work is not completely on point, these films still earn the big bucks. They are absolute crowd-pullers because people love watching over the top good old-fashioned good guy versus bad guy action movies. Hollywood never disappoints when it comes to this genre. Every year several new action movies are being released. Some are good; some are not.

Here is the list of upcoming action movies of 2020, 2021 and beyond. We hope these new action movies are as good as some of the recent ones. The list includes action-thriller movies, action-adventure movies and funny action movies.

26. Bad Boys for Life (January 17, 2020)

Bad Boys’ is an action-comedy that stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the role of two cops that fight the drug mafia. The Michael Bay-directed film was a success at the box-office, and received a sequel ‘Bad Boys II’. However, despite its great commercial performance, the film didn’t receive a follow-up. Until now. Smith and Lawrence return to reprise their roles as the iconic duo. It has been years since they last teamed up and their lives are falling apart now. Their career has hit a dead-end with only retirement on the horizon. But they are thrown back into the frenzy when one of their old enemies resurfaces.

25. The Rhythm Section (January 31, 2020)

Based on the book of the same name by Mark Burnell, ‘The Rhythm Section’ follows the story of a woman who discovers that the plane crash that killed her family is actually a part of the bigger conspiracy. The film stars Blake Lively in the lead role of Stephanie Patrick, who has gotten used to covering her true identity with the persona of some other person. Now that she knows that the event that upended her life was orchestrated by someone, she has to find that person, no matter what it takes. Directed by Reed Morano, the film stars Jude Law, Sterling K Brown, Daniel Mays and Max Casella in the supporting roles.

24. Birds of Prey (February 7, 2020)

Harley Quinn was introduced to the moviegoers in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’. At the end of the film, she reunites with the Joker, but there is much more to her than her psychopathic boyfriend. In ‘Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn’, we get to see her story. With the Joker out of the picture and the Suicide Squad dispersed, she forms her own team, which includes the Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya. The task is to save a girl, named Cassandra Cain, from the Black Mask. Margot Robbie stars in the lead role with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco and Ewan McGregor starring in the supporting roles.

23. The King’s Man (February 12, 2020)

While we already have a British spy in the name of James Bond, currently in the form of Daniel Craig, sometimes, it can be too dramatic for our own good. Sometimes, we just want something as full of action, as it is entertaining. It was this need to create a light, even funny, spy-flick that led to the inception of ‘the Kingsman Series’. Taron Egerton serves as the spy in training, but the main attraction was watching Colin Firth as the gentleman who will not hesitate to teach you some manners! In the first film, Harry gives a short history of the organization to Eggsy, but we don’t really know the real story behind it. This is where ‘The King’s Man’ comes in. It takes us back to the time where these suave, stylish spies came from. Actors like Ralph Fiennes, Charles Dance and Matthew Goode play the main roles.

22. No Time to Die (February 14, 2020)

The Bond franchise’ is the oldest and one of the most successful movie franchises in the history of Hollywood, and I don’t mean to exaggerate! ‘No Time to Die‘ marks its 25th film (which can be considered a silver jubilee of sorts) and the excitement is still heavy around it. Daniel Craig has proven himself to be the best Bond in business (you can argue all you want, I’ll still not be convinced), and the show-runners are finding it hard to let go of him. In fact, he had commented that ‘Spectre’ would be his last film, but that changed pretty quickly. If he carried on just for the sake of the 25th film, then this could, after all, be his last film as Bond, and this is what makes it all the more important. If Craig were to leave, he would leave with a bang, and ‘No Time to Die’ would have to be pretty awesome to conclude the Craig-era properly. Let’s see how it all turns out.

21. Mulan (March 27, 2020)

With the reinvention of its animated classics into live-action flicks, Disney is also recreating the image of its damsel-in-distress characters. The princesses are becoming fiercer, independent and taking charge of their own destinies. Another one in the line, projecting her warrior spirit, is Mulan. Based on a Chinese legend, it follows the story of a girl who takes the place of her ailing father when he is forced to join the Imperial Army. It stars Liu Yifei in the lead role. Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An and Jet Li star in the supporting roles.

20. G.I Joe Ever Vigilant (March 27, 2020)

Even though the G.I Joes are iconic amongst the toys in America and have successful comic and animated series, when they were adapted for the big screen, it turned out to be a failure. ‘The Rise of Cobra’ and ‘Retaliation’ had some big names attached to it and they even made a lot of money. However, the content just wasn’t up to the mark and the series died before it could have a proper start. The producers of the film haven’t given up though, because isn’t that what reboots are for. The third movie in the series could very well be the saviour for the Joe universe, and if it turns out good, it will be a blast of action. Though not much has been revealed about the project, the setting of a date proves that things are moving along fine.

19. Black Widow (May 1, 2020)

Scarlett Johansson won hearts the moment she appeared as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For some time, she was the only female superhero in the universe, and yet, she didn’t receive her own film, until now. Her character might have bid farewell after her tragic death in ‘Avengers: Endgame’, but she isn’t out of the MCU just yet. ‘Black Widow’ follows her story after the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’. With a huge divide between Iron Man and Captain America, the Avengers are dispersed. Natasha goes back home to find closure with her past. Directed by Cate Shortland, it has David Harbour, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz in the supporting roles.

18. Godzilla vs Kong (May 22, 2020)

We have all sorts of universes now, and it was only a matter of time before we had a world of monsters. The characters and stories of Godzilla and King Kong had been around for a long time; however, it was only recently that an effort was made to bring them together. The 2014 movie ‘Godzilla’ marked the beginning of this universe which was followed by 2017’s ‘Kong: Skull Island’. ‘Godzilla: King of Monsters’ is the third instalment in the franchise. But that the most exciting thing is the crossover that is set to happen between the two monsters. ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ brings the two of them together, and we have only one word for this: mayhem!

17. Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5, 2020)

The DC Universe might have struggled in setting its cinematic world on a firm foundation, but Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman hasn’t been touched by that problem. The moment she jumped into the fight in ‘Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice’ with Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL’s goose-bumps of a music playing in the background, there was no doubt that if someone was to lead the world of superheroes, it would be her. The massive success of her solo outing further consolidated her status, and she is ready to recreate the magic, facing new enemies and deadlier challenges this time around. With Gadot and Chris Pine reprising their roles, the film also stars Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal.

16. Top Gun: Maverick (June 26, 2020)

Top Gun’ is one of those films that cemented the status of Tom Cruise as a superstar. It focuses on the story of a group of naval aviators, with Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell being the central character. The film came out in 1986, and since then, the talks of a sequel had been circling, but nothing substantial happened. Until now! The movie is well into production and is set to be released by next year. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reprise their roles as Maverick and Iceman, while Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris have also joined the cast.

15. Tenet (July 17, 2020)

One of the most anticipated films of the year, ‘Tenet’ is Christopher Nolan’s next venture after the Academy Award-nominated, ‘Dunkirk’. Its plot is under tight wraps, so much so that the actors are not allowed to keep the script at home! Reportedly, Robert Pattinson read it in a locked room, and he confirms that it is “unreal”. So far, all we know about ‘Tenet’ is that it is an action film that has spies and something to do with time travel! It stars John David Washington, Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Dimple Kapadia, Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine.

14. Jungle Cruise (July 24, 2020)

Jungle Cruise’ is an action-adventure film that is based on the Disney theme park of the same name. It follows the story of a scientist and her brother who embark on a daring venture to find the Tree of Life. In order to wade through the treacherous environs of the jungle, they employ the services of a riverboat captain, named Frank. But they are not the only ones in the search of the tree that can heal anyone. The Germans are competing too, and if our heroes are not killed by them first, then the dangerous animals will surely do the job. The film stars Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Whitehall and Edgar Ramirez in the main roles.

13. Morbius (July 31, 2020)

The character of Morbius is known to the fans of Marvel comics as one of Spider-Man’s enemies, whose story takes a turn for the better. His story further develops him into an anti-hero who is the victim of his circumstances. The character is complicated as well as fascinating. The film explores his origins and what turned him into a blood-thirsty vampire, which attaches another set of fandom to the film. Jared Leto plays the lead role, with Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Jared Harris and Tyrese Gibson starring as supporting characters. Daniel Espinosa serves as the director.

12. Without Remorse (September 17, 2020)

‘Without Remorse’ is a novel written by Tom Clancy, which focuses on the story of a Navy SEAL named John Clark. He is one of the recurring characters in the Ryan-verse, and with this book, Clancy gives an introduction of the character and the events that shape him. For long, Jack Ryan has enjoyed the limelight from Clancy’s world, but now, it is time for Clark to shine. The film adaptation focuses on the death of his wife and his path to revenge. Directed by Stefano Sollima, it stars Michael B. Jordan in the lead role. Jamie Bell, Jodie Turner-Smith and Cam Gigandet appear as the supporting characters.

11. Venom 2 (October 2, 2020)

A product of Sony and Marvel’s collaboration, ‘Venom’ follows the story of Eddie Brock, a character from the world of Spider-Man. The film stars Tom Hardy in the lead role, with Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed as the supporting characters. Woody Harrelson has a cameo in which he plays the role of Cletus Kasady. He returns to don the character in ‘Venom 2’ as the main villain. Reid Scott and Naomie Harris have joined the cast and Andy Serkis serves as the director. Considering that Spider-Man is also planned to share a universe with ‘Venom’, we look forward to how the sequel progresses to that end.

10. Red Notice (November 13, 2020)

Gal Gadot has established herself as a bankable action star after the success of ‘Wonder Woman’. Previously, she had also been a part of ‘The Fast and Furious franchise’, even if for a short while. So, an upcoming action movie starring her has obviously made us excited. Dwayne Johnson, another big name in the world of action movies, stars alongside her. We don’t yet know the exact plot of the film, or what role the two are supposed to play, but the title does suggest that it has something to do with international criminals. Time will tell the rest.

9. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2020)

The 2017 action-comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson was a huge box office hit. The film follows the story of a man working as a protection agent, and a hitman, as their paths converge where both of them have to run for their lives. The success of the film has resulted in a sequel which is coming to the screens pretty soon. As the title suggests, this film stretches the focus from the hitman and the bodyguard to the wife. In the previous film, Salma Hayek plays the role. She has returned along with Reynolds and Jackson to add another chapter to the story. Frank Grillo, Richard Grant, Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman have also joined the cast.

8. Uncharted (December 18, 2020)

‘Uncharted’ is a video game series that promises action and adventure to its fans. It has received critical acclaim and is one of the most popular games. There had been rumours about it being turned into a film for a couple of years before Sony confirmed that they are bringing the treasure hunter to the big screen. Tom Holland has been cast in the lead role, which has caused some uproar amongst the fans. However, this decision has been justified by the fact that the film starts in the early years of Nathan Drake, focusing on his relationship with his mentor and how he gets the taste for an adventurous life.

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7. Bloodshot (2020)

Marvel has established an empire of itself, and though DC might have had some initial struggles, it seems on the right track with the success of ‘Wonder Woman’ and the recent ‘Aquaman’. But, these two are not the only ones who have great characters from their popular comics series. The character of Bloodshot comes from Valiant Cinematic Universe and tells the story of a super-soldier who comes with abilities like high-speed and strength along with cyber-kinesis and shapeshifting, among other things. Vin Diesel has been cast in the leading role while Sam Heughan and Guy Pearce appear as the supporting roles.

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6. Fast and Furious 9 (2020)

There has not been any confirmation as to who is returning to this action-packed franchise, but it is expected that Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz) and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges (Tej Parker) are reprising their roles. After missing out on the last film, Jordana Brewster has also been confirmed to return as Dom’s sister Mia. The plot of the movie is not revealed yet and is very much under wraps. So we can only speculate on the basis of what happened in the last movie. Vin Diesel has teased that the next installment of the Fast and Furious franchise will be “bigger” than its predecessor and might be set in Africa. Over the years, the Fast and Furious films have been set in different countries including Brazil, UK, Spain, Japan, Mexico and UAE, and Diesel has said in his interviews that the next movie might take them to Africa as it has been “long overdue”.

5. The Division (TBA)

Based on Tom Clancy’s game of the same name, this film is scheduled to be released as one of the Ubisoft motion picture productions. It stars Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead roles. The story of the film, if it remains true to the game, follows the narrative of a virus outbreak in Manhattan and a team that tries to bring the situation under control. Tom Clancy’s storylines are nerve-wracking with generous dollops of action and we have no reason to believe that the film will be any different.

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4. Matrix 4 (May 21, 2021)

Sci-fi blockbuster, ‘The Matrix‘, is set to return to the big screens with a fourth film, which comes almost two decades after the previous instalment. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss have returned to reprise their roles. Lana Wachowski is involved in the writing and production of the film. Some new faces have also joined the cast. Neil Patrick Harris (‘How I Met Your Mother‘) has been signed on for an unknown role. Jessica Henwick (‘Iron Fist‘), Yahya Abdul-Mateen (‘Watchmen‘), Jonathan Groff (‘Frozen‘, ‘Mindhunter‘) and Stephen Graham (‘Taboo‘) have also come on-board for the fourth run of the movie.

3. John Wick 4 (May 21, 2021)

No, don’t worry. I haven’t messed up the dates. The fourth parts of ‘The Matrix’ and ‘John Wick‘ series are set to release on the same day! For the fans of Keanu Reeves, there couldn’t be a better day in history. They’ll probably declare a national holiday for May 21, 2021. ‘John Wick’ marked Reeves’ return to action movies, and it quickly became the franchise that would rake in a lot of money. It was supposed to end with the third film, but it was too good to let go of. Details are scarce on plot and cast, for now. But because the date has been set, we should come to know more about it soon enough.

2. Indiana Jones 5 (July 9, 2021)

Indiana Jones’ series is one of the most successful series helmed by Steven Spielberg and has a massive fandom that couldn’t let go of the character in the last film. To support their cause, we didn’t really get closure about Indy’s adventures and his story when we last saw him in ‘The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ movie. A lot of developments have happened with the franchise now, and as everything seems to settle down, we can finally see a movie in the near future. Disney has acquired the rights of the franchise and considering how they make everything so awesome, our expectations have only increased with this sequel.

1. The Flash (July 1, 2022)

Although this movie is in the pipelines and has been conditioned to be released based on the commercial success of the Justice League movie, we can’t help but be excited about it. A Flash standalone movie it is based on the Flashpoint paradox which in itself is a highly interesting comic arc. If reading is not your thing, Flashpoint as an animated film exists as well. However, we can’t wait for this movie to materialize, simply because we are really excited to see Thomas Wayne as an older more ruthless Batman and the plot itself has plenty of action so any honest adaptation of the arc will materialize into a thoroughly enjoyable film. And since Flash has already been introduced in the Justice League movie, it’s only fair he gets his own film, and Flashpoint seems like an excellent place to start.

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