Jason Statham is one of the few actors currently carrying the action genre, and he has starred in some great high-stakes movies over the last few years. In fact, the Transporter star has effectively become his own subgenre of action film now, with viewers knowing what they’re in for when they see his name on the marketing materials.
There are questions about where Statham can go from here, however. Even though his recent films have all been praised, people may soon become tired of the formula. This could be the prime time for Statham to evolve and to start building his own action universe that covers everything from films to games.
Statham Could Build His Own Cinematic Franchise
One of the most obvious ways for Statham to evolve would be for him to take one of his most iconic recent characters and build a franchise around him. This could potentially happen, as it has already been reported that the 58-year-old will return as Adam Clay in The Beekeeper 2 next year.
There’s a lot of scope to expand this franchise, as the first movie introduced various elements that could be explored further. Indeed, this could follow a similar trajectory to that of the John Wick franchise, which has now branched out into films that follow different characters and settings within the same universe as the original Keanu Reeves-led titles.
Formula Has Worked Well Elsewhere in Entertainment
It would make sense for Statham to try to build a massive cinematic franchise now, as this formula has been hugely successful in entertainment over the last few years. Many of today’s biggest blockbusters are now being followed by sequels and spinoffs, along with adaptations across other media. For example, The Batman from Matt Reeves led to the upcoming The Batman Part II, along with The Penguin series on HBO Max.
This is seen in the gaming industry, too, where franchises expand and have a powerful familiarity effect. The Age of the Gods slot series is a great example, with the original Greek mythology-inspired game leading to countless other sequels. It has even expanded into the UK live casino market with Age of the Gods Mega Fire Blaze Roulette Live, which captures the epic theme of the slots and transports players to an ancient setting.
Where Can Fans See Statham Next?
The good news for Statham fans is that, right now, he’s continuing to churn out a lot of movies. In a way, because many of his films are so similar, they could be part of a Statham universe.
He’s set to star in Mutiny this year, and The Beekeeper 2 and Jason Statham Stole My Bike next year. He’s also working on an adaptation of J.J. Connolly’s follow-up novel to Layer Cake with Guy Ritchie called Viva La Madness, but no release date has been set for that yet.
It is time for Statham to think about how he can build his legacy and ensure he goes down in history as one of the greatest action stars of all time. It would make a lot of sense for him to develop his own franchise.