Where Have All the Action Heroes Gone? With John Wick Producer Basil Iwanyk

Summary of Where Have All the Action Heroes Gone? With John Wick Producer Basil Iwanyk

by The Ringer

37m•August 13, 2026
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Overview of The Town episode

Matt Belloni talks with veteran producer Basil Iwanyk, the force behind John Wick, Sicario, The Town, Greenland, and The Expendables, about a big industry question: where have all the action heroes gone? The conversation centers on why traditional action movies are harder to launch theatrically in the U.S., why studios are less interested in mid-budget action, and why the genre still thrives internationally and on streaming.

Why action heroes are rarer now

Domestic theatrical is the weak spot

  • Iwanyk argues that the U.S. theatrical market for pure action films has become much tougher, even though action still performs well overseas and on streaming.
  • Major studios have largely pulled back from making mid-budget, straight-ahead action movies.
  • The old pipeline of action films that once filled theaters in the ’80s and ’90s has thinned out, especially for original, non-IP titles.

Streaming and international are still strong

  • According to Iwanyk, action remains a “gold rush” for streamers and foreign markets.
  • Platforms like Netflix and Amazon still do well with action-heavy titles because viewers know what they’re getting.
  • But he notes that the economics of streaming and global rights can make it harder to build the kind of theatrical-first model that used to support the genre.

What changed in the business

Budgets are stuck in a difficult middle zone

  • Many successful action movies now live in the $50–65 million range.
  • That budget level can be profitable, but it often falls into a “no man’s land” for studios:
    • too expensive for a quick, low-risk return
    • not big enough to feel like a tentpole
  • Iwanyk points to Greenland as an example of a film that worked financially despite modest U.S. box office because of foreign sales, PVOD, and after-market value.

The old star system has weakened

  • In the past, stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Keanu Reeves, and Liam Neeson could reliably anchor action movies.
  • Today, there are fewer younger action-specific stars breaking through.
  • Iwanyk says the industry keeps asking how to create the next generation, but there’s no obvious pipeline.

Why new action stars are hard to launch

Audiences and actors both seem cautious

  • Iwanyk suggests that younger actors may not be eager to commit to the physical demands of action roles.
  • Action stardom requires:
    • months of training
    • stunt and fight rehearsal
    • intense shooting schedules
    • a willingness to be tied to a demanding genre
  • He also believes audiences respond to authenticity, practical stunts, and a believable performer doing the work.

Existing stars are “tipping in,” not fully embracing it

  • He cites examples like:
    • Keanu Reeves — became an action icon later in his career
    • Matt Damon — Bourne proved he could do action
    • Liam Neeson — unexpected second act as an action lead
    • Bob Odenkirk, Dev Patel, Walton Goggins — actors who can credibly “dip into” action
  • But there’s still a gap for a true 20s/30s breakout action star.

Style matters: action is in a transition phase

The genre has cycled through major visual styles

  • Iwanyk says action filmmaking keeps reinventing itself:
    • Matrix-era action: stylized, surreal, wire-fu-inspired
    • Bourne-era action: shaky handheld realism
    • John Wick-era action: clean, locked-off, highly choreographed “gun-fu”
  • He thinks the genre is now looking for the next visual language for action.

Practical filmmaking still matters

  • He repeatedly emphasizes that audiences still respond to:
    • practical stunts
    • real car chases
    • actors doing their own action
  • He cites Speed as a model of practical, high-stakes action that still holds up.
  • He also notes that audiences liked John Wick partly because Keanu did so much of the work himself.

Key takeaways

  • The action genre is not dead; it’s just split across different markets.
  • International theatrical, streaming, and post-theatrical revenue are keeping many action films alive.
  • The biggest problem is domestic studio support for mid-budget, original action movies.
  • The genre needs:
    • a new generation of stars
    • a fresh stylistic approach
    • practical, authentic spectacle
  • Iwanyk is optimistic that the genre can evolve, but he thinks it needs something new and distinct to break through again.

Notable examples mentioned

  • John Wick and its sequels
  • Greenland
  • Sicario
  • The Town
  • Speed
  • The Bourne Identity
  • The Matrix
  • The Fall Guy
  • Ballerina
  • Reacher
  • Day Drinker (with Johnny Depp)
  • A possible Bourne project with Zendaya, which Iwanyk sees as the kind of casting that could reboot interest

End-of-show box office note

  • The episode closes with a brief box office segment about The End of Oak Street, an $80 million Anne Hathaway/Ewan McGregor film.
  • Matt and Craig both lean under on the film’s projected $25 million three-day opening, citing competition from Spider-Man and The Odyssey and some pre-release concern around the movie’s buzz.