MOVIE NEWS – Alan Ritchson isn’t easing up after Reacher, and Netflix is giving him a louder, bigger sandbox. The first trailer for War Machine is here, and it’s selling sci-fi chaos with a clear “event movie” pitch. If this lands, it could be one of streaming’s more talked-about action plays in 2026.

Alan Ritchson continues to lock in his action-hero momentum, and Netflix has finally unleashed the explosive first look at War Machine. After turning into an instant fan favorite as Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s Reacher, he’s now pivoting into sci-fi with a spectacle that asks him to fight a war on a scale far beyond anything he handled as Amazon’s roaming avenger. The film is directed by Patrick Hughes, the filmmaker behind The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and it surrounds Ritchson with a cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Jai Courtney, Stephan James, Esai Morales, Keiynan Lonsdale, and Daniel Webber.

It’s not just the cast that’s stacked – the premise is exactly the kind of high-concept hook genre fans chase: War Machine kicks off during the final 24 hours of the world’s toughest selection program, when Ritchson’s combat engineer has to lead his unit against a massive otherworldly killing machine. The movie hits Netflix on March 6, 2026, and the trailer arrives alongside an official logline. “During the final stage of U.S. Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat.”

Is this the kind of high-concept blockbuster that actually sticks the landing?

In a recent MovieWeb exclusive, Jai Courtney – who’s also gearing up to join Ritchson on the front lines in War Machine – delivered the exact kind of pre-release fuel that gets action fans leaning in. Based on this first footage, the movie already feels built to read as a “big streaming hit,” not a disposable one-weekend watch.

“I’m hearing really great things. I think people are really excited about it. It’s kind of high concept, and it’s really a survival thriller. And, look, I’m as curious as you. I can’t wait to see what they did, but it was awesome to go down and shoot a film of that scale in Australia. And I think what Patrick Hughes is trying to do there – bringing those blockbuster-esque, high-concept action films into the Aussie industries – is really cool.”

War Machine is only one stop on Ritchson’s packed action slate. He’s set to return as Jack Reacher for season four of Reacher, and the Frances Neagley spin-off is also on the way, with both expected to arrive in 2026. He’ll also appear alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus in the Christmas action comedy The Man with the Bag, stay mostly silent while chasing revenge in Motor City, and headline the action thriller Runner opposite Owen Wilson.

Source: MovieWeb