All 6 Upcoming Mark Wahlberg Movies Explained

Summary

• Mark Wahlberg has multiple anticipated movies in 2024 and beyond.
• Some of these movies include “The Union,” “Flight Risk,” “Play Dirty,” and “The Six Billion Dollar Man.”
• Wahlberg will also appear in a comedy with Paul Walter Hauser and reprise his role in the “Uncharted” sequel.

Mark Wahlberg has built up a reputation for himself as one of Hollywood’s most notable leading men, and even after 40 years in show business, he seems to be showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. With an insatiable work ethic that means he is always involved in multiple projects, Wahlberg has plenty of upcoming films for viewers to look forward to. From straight to streaming releases, remakes of popular television series, and even a major franchise sequel, there is a lot for lovers of Wahlberg’s work to get excited about in the near future.

Wahlberg has proven himself time and again as a talented actor capable of excelling in action, comedy, drama, and genre films. With nominations for two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and nine Primetime Emmy Awards, viewers are continually excited to see him deliver the same kind of committed performances Wahlberg gave in action movies or favorites like Boogie Nights, The Departed, and The Other Guys in his future roles in 2024 and beyond. With an upcoming filmography that’s as varied as his career itself, there’s really something for everybody when looking at the forthcoming Wahlberg movies.

6 The Union (2024)

Release Date: August 16, 2024

Mark Wahlberg will star opposite Halle Berry in the new spy comedy The Union on Netflix. Wahlberg plays Mike McKenna, a construction worker who finds himself embroiled in the world of espionage after he reconnects with his old high school girlfriend, Roxanne Hall (Berry.) The story of The Union involves Roxanne recruiting Mike for a high-stakes US intelligence mission in London, as his lack of recognition within the world of spies made him the perfect candidate to retrieve a stolen list containing the identities of every United States spy.

The Union is directed by Julian Farino, who is known for directing much of the first three seasons of the HBO series Entourage, which was executive-produced by Wahlberg and loosely based on his experiences as an up-and-coming actor. The screenplay is co-written by Designated Survivor creator David Guggenheim along with British writer Joe Barton, who worked on the crime series Giri/Haji and the sci-fi thriller The Lazarus Project. The Union is co-produced by Wahlberg’s own production studio, Closest to the Hole Productions.

5 Flight Risk (2024)

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Mark Wahlberg will reunite with his Father Stu co-star Mel Gibson for Gibson’s upcoming directional project, Flight Risk. With Wahlberg as the hitman and pilot Daryl Booth, Flight Risk tells the story of Booth transporting an FBI agent and an informant to trial only to reveal he’s there to assassinate the informant. With Topher Grace as the informant and Michelle Dockery as the FBI agent, this thriller in the sky will surely deliver plenty of action-packed excitement.

Flight Risk will be Gibson’s first feature film as a director since Hacksaw Ridge in 2016. It features a script by the little-known screenwriter Jared Rosenberg. Flight Risk was included in the 2020 “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood (via Deadline) and was picked by Gibson in May 2023 (via Variety). Wahlberg has been attached to star in the film since the beginning, and Flight Risk will be distributed by Lionsgate Films.

Mark Wahlberg on working with Mel Gibson (via People):

“Having seen Apocalypto a million times and Braveheart and every other film that he’s directed, he’s such a talented filmmaker. It was one of those things where, between the part and to getting to work with the filmmaker, for me it’s always top of the list: the script, the director and the part are the three main components when making a choice. “So for me, I’ve always just tried to work with the best,”

4 Play Dirty

Release Date: TBC

Actor-turned-director Shane Black will team up with Mark Wahlberg for his upcoming crime thriller Play Dirty, which is set to be disturbed by Amazon MGM Studios. Play Dirty stars Wahlberg as Parker and tells the story of a thief getting shot in a major heist and a plan to outsmart a South American dictator, the New York mob, and the world’s richest man. LaKeith Stanfield, Dermot Mulroney, and Keegan-Michael Key will also appear alongside Wahlberg.

Although Robert Downey Jr. is no longer attached to star in
Play Dirty
and was replaced by Mark Wahlberg, Downey has still remained connected to the project through Team Downey. This production company was founded by Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey and has produced films such as
The Judge
,
Doolittle
, and
“Sr.”
, the documentary about Downey Jr.’s late father.

Play Dirty was originally intended to reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr., who previously starred in Black’s films Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3. However, Downey dropped out for unknown reasons and was replaced by Wahlberg. Play Dirty is based on a series of novels by Donald E. Westlake, one of which was previously adapted and released as Parker, starring Jason Statham, in 2013. It remains to be seen if Wahlberg’s new thriller could help launch the franchise that Staham failed to.

3 The Six Billion Dollar Man

Release Date: TBC

Mark Wahlberg has long been attached to a remake of the popular 1970s sci-fi TV series The Six Million Dollar Man, titled The Six Billion Dollar Man. The original starred Lee Majors as test pilot Steve Austin, who was nearly killed in an accident and was rebuilt using the latest bionic technology and ran for five seasons between 1973 and 1978. The technological themes of the series have only become more relevant in the decades since, so it makes sense that it has long been in the running for remaking for modern viewers.

However, plans for this remake have been ongoing since 1995, and Wahlberg has been attached to star in it for several years. The Six Billion Dollar Man was officially confirmed as a project in 2014, and in 2020, the film was delayed indefinitely. While the film has languished in development hell for a decade now, Wahlberg recently gave a positive update about The Six Billion Dollar Man and exclusively told Screen Rant that they had regained the rights to the film and he’s hoping to make the movie soon.

We’ve got the rights again, we’re looking at making that movie – hopefully soon! Again, ticking clock. Thank God, it’s an older guy who they feel like has some real-life experience that makes it worth it for him to be the subject of this experiment.

2 Balls Up

Release Date: TBC

Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser are set to star in Balls Up, an upcoming comedy from Peter Farrelly for Amazon MGM Studios. Balls Up will tell the story of two fired marketing executives attending a soccer match, where their drunken antics make them wanted fugitives across the country. Farrelly is known for his work with his brother Bobby, and together they directed several comedy classics, including Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Shallow Hal.

The script for Balls Up was written by Deadpool & Wolverine co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who also collaborated on other scripts, such as Zombieland, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and Life. Balls Up will be the fourth collaboration between Amazon MGM and Skydance and will continue Amazon’s working relationship with Farrelly, who recently released Ricky Stanicky with the studio. No other co-stars besides Wahlberg and Hauser have been announced for Balls Up.

1 Uncharted 2

Release Date: TBC

Sony has confirmed that Uncharted 2 is officially in development. Although the cast has not yet been announced, it’s almost certain that Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland will return as Sully Sullivan and Nathan Drake. Wahlberg also hinted at this announcement when he told Screen Rant in an exclusive interview that the studio had told him the script was being written and to “start growing your mustache.” Considering all this information bodes well for Wahlberg’s appearance in the upcoming Uncharted 2 movie.

Actually, I just got a call today that they got the script in. I can’t grow a real beard and mustache, but they said, “Start growing your mustache. It’s gonna take awhile.” I’d be interested to see what the story’s like, and where that adventure takes us. But I’m excited; I know audiences really loved the first one, so we’ll see.

The first Uncharted was an adaptation of the popular video game series by Naughty Dog. In it, Drake and Sully participated in an epic treasure-hunting adventure. While the critical reception was mixed, and some felt the movie paled in comparison to the video games, Uncharted did well at the box office and grossed $407 million against its $120 million budget (via Box Office Mojo.) Now that a second film installment has been announced, it seems viewers should prepare for the return of Wahlberg in the role of Sully.

Sources: Deadline, Variety, People, Box Office Mojo