Chris Pratt's Action-Packed 'John Wick' Replacement Officially Makes Major Streaming Comeback

1 week ago 14

Chris Pratt grinning as Barry in Wanted.

Published Oct 13, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT

Rohan Naahar is a News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal of introducing audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Years before the John Wick franchise was birthed, another comic book-inspired action movie featuring a secret society of assassins was released to incredible box-office success and positive reviews. There was talk of a sequel, but none was produced. Years later, the film has developed a strong cult following, while the John Wick franchise has emerged as something of a cultural sensation with more than $1 billion in global box-office revenue. The 2008 movie is witnessing another streaming resurgence as its 20th anniversary nears and fans of the John Wick franchise await its fifth installment.

The movie in question featured a stellar cast that included Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and Chris Pratt in one of his earliest tentpole appearances. The main character, however, was played by James McAvoy. This was before he was cast as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men reboot series, and was best known for his roles in the Chronicles of Narnia series and in the Oscar-winning drama Atonement. The movie follows a man who discovers that he belongs to a secret society of assassins who carry out missions at the behest of a mysterious ancient artifact. It was based on a comic book series by Mark Millar, who utilized a similar template in his Kingsman series, which inspired a successful movie franchise.

The Stylish John Wick Clone Taking Streaming by Storm

We're talking, of course, about the action movie Wanted. Produced on a reported budget of $75 million, the movie grossed more than $340 million worldwide. It now holds a "Certified Fresh" 71% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, "Wanted is stylish, energetic popcorn fare with witty performances from Angelina Jolie (playing an expert assassin), James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman that help to distract from its absurdly over-the-top plot." One of the film's most memorable aspects is the stylized action designed by director Timur Bekmambetov. A key feature of the action was the characters' ability to "bend" bullets, resulting in an on-screen depiction of gun-fighting that hadn't been seen since The Matrix. According to FlixPatrol, Wanted emerged as one of the most-watched movies on the domestic Starz leaderboard this week, proving its popularity among its core audience. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.