WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Hit Man.
Summary
- Hit Man’s fusion of comedy, action, and noir makes it a standout film in Richard Linklater’s career.
- Glen Powell’s portrayal of Gary/Ron charms audiences, earning Hit Man a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
- A potential Hit Man sequel could explore the fate of Gary and Madison’s relationship, adding more twists to the story.
The true story of the man who inspired Hit Man hints at an unfortunate end for Gary/Ron and Madison. Gary Johnson, the real-life undercover cop who pretended to be an assassin for his local police department, is the subject of Richard Linklater’s latest film. Already considered one of the best movies of Richard Linklater’s career, Hit Man blends several genres such as screwball/romantic comedy, action thriller, and classic film noir.
Glen Powell shines as Gary, Ron, and several other aliases in the Netflix hit, which was released on June 7, 2024. Hit Man is Glen Powell’s highest-rated movie of his career based on his Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, slightly outperforming Top Gun: Maverick’s impressive 96%. Powell and Linklater co-wrote the screenplay, marking Powell’s feature screenwriting debut. Powell recently starred in the rom-com hit Anyone But You alongside Sydney Sweeney and will star in the upcoming summer blockbuster Twisters.
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The True Story Suggests Gary & Madison Get Divorced After Hit Man
The real-life Gary Johnson was divorced three times
While both Linklater and Powell quite obviously made a lot of changes to the true story of Gary Johnson, the fate of Gary and his wife in real life suggests that the dynamic duo’s happy marriage depicted at the end of Hit Man didn’t last forever. In real life, Gary was married and divorced three separate times, suggesting that his relationship with Madison would not have lasted in Hit Man or a potential Hit Man sequel, even though the fictitious couple had children.
It’s important to note the fact that the real Gary Johnson never married one of his undercover targets, so Madison is essentially a completely fictional character. Powell and Linklater did get the true nature of Gary correct, however, as he was known to be a mild-mannered and soft-spoken loner who loves his cats and reading philosophy. It’s clear that Powell and Linklater were able to utilize the Madison character to further drive the drama of Hit Man while staying true to the elements of a classic romantic comedy.
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Hit Man 2 Can Give A Real Answer To Gary & Madison’s Future
A Hit Man sequel could reunite the electric duo of Powell & Arjona
Richard Linklater has commented that a Hit Man sequel is not entirely out of the question but that it’s currently way too soon for him to be thinking about that prospect. If Linklater and Powell did reunite for a Hit Man sequel, it could either double down on the undeniable onscreen chemistry between Powell and Adria Arjona (Madison) or take another note out of the real-life Gary’s book and have Gary and Madison get divorced. It would be intriguing to see Powell pair with another electric co-star in a potential Hit Man sequel. However, his and Arjona’s dynamic would be hard to top or replicate.
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Hit Man
From director Richard Linklater comes Hit Man, a 2023 action comedy film based on a Texas Monthly article of the same name. Undercover and trying to catch a group of criminals, a Houston police officer poses as a hitman until he falls for a woman on assignment. Finding himself diving deeper into the world of crime, the Houston officer finds it increasingly difficult to escape his new undercover persona.
- Release Date
- September 5, 2023
- Studio(s)
- AGC Studios , Detour Filmproduction , Aggregate Films , BarnStorm Productions
- Cast
- Glen Powell , Adria Arjona , Austin Amelio , Retta , Molly Bernard
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes