In Just 3 Days, Netflix's New 7-Part Jack Ryan-Style Thriller Finally Releases
Netflix is about to drop the perfect Jack Ryan-replacement series for fans of suspenseful on-the-run action thrillers. Man on Fire, a seven-part television series, will be released on April 30. Based on the 1980 bestselling novel by A.J. Quinnell, Man on Fire sees Special Forces Veteran John Creasy haunted by his past and being hunted by his enemies as he tries to keep a teenage girl alive on the deadly streets of Rio de Janeiro. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the MCU's Wonder Man) stars as the lead character, a role previously played by Denzel Washington in the 2004 film adaptation. Kyle Killen (Fear Street Part One: 1994, Halo) serves as the showrunner and executive producer.
Man on Fire Star Opens Up About His Character's Trauma in New Netflix Series
Earlier this month, Netflix dropped a new trailer for Man on Fire, showcasing the high-stakes action that Abdul-Mateen's character will come across when the series premieres at the end of this month. The star talked to Netflix's Tudum about the role and why his character is so damaged. "His trauma is such that he’s afraid to make friends. He’s afraid to open up. He’s afraid to be vulnerable, and that’s kept him in the same place for a very long time," Abdul-Mateen shared. Thankfully, one important relationship in the series helps keep Creasy's eye on the prize. The young girl that he's tasked with protecting, Poe (Billie Boullet), ends up forming an unlikely alliance with Creasy, and the two quickly become inseparable in the revenge thriller. "They're finding each other,” Abdul-Mateen said. "It’s built on trust. I think it’s a beautiful relationship. Ultimately, they both needed something from each other: Creasy really needed a friend, and Poe needed someone that felt like family." Whether Creasy can actually develop a closeness to someone despite his own haunting past is one of the driving forces of the show's narrative. "That's really the story of the season," showrunner Killen teased. "Creasy dropping his guard, letting other people in, and then discovering that they can accomplish more as a team than he can as an individual."
Netflix's New Man on Fire Series Promises Jaw-Dropping Action Scenes
Image via Juan Rosas / ©Netflix/ Courtesy Everett Collection
While the emotional stakes in Man on Fire will be high, the series also promises there will be plenty of action to keep viewers interested, too. One scene shown in Netflix's teaser trailer sees Creasy leaping from a car to a plane, and the actor opened up about the intense logistics that made these jaw-dropping moments possible. "I'm sure it took even longer for the actual team to go in and set it up and make sure that we were safe and things like that," Abdul-Mateen said of the series' impeccable stunts. "Every episode was like a small movie, and when you have something like that in it and where it lands in a real way, I think everybody involved deserves a lot of props."
With cinematic action guaranteed, the one question that remains will be if Creasy will prevail in his mission. "[He] has no problems helping someone else, but when it comes to saying yes, allowing himself to be helped — that’s when we see him really struggle," Abdul-Mateen teased. Netflix's Man on Fire series arrives on April 30.
Release Date
April 30, 2026
Network
Netflix
Showrunner
Kyle Killen
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
John Creasy
Billy Blanco Jr.
President Carmo
Bobby Cannavale
Paul Rayburn
Scoot McNairy
Henry Tappan
