Jason Stathamis one of themost popular action heroes working today, thanks in no small part to his ability to consistently land roles in major movie franchises. Whether it’s lending his recognizable gruff British voice to kids' animated films or kicking butt in intricately choreographed fight sequences, Statham has carved out a cinematic persona that’s unique to him.
Many ofthe best Statham movieswere part of an ongoing series, as audiences will know him for exciting parts like the getaway driver Frank Martin in theTransporterseries or the iconic antagonistDeckard Shaw fromFast & Furious. With plenty of great franchises to his name,Statham has been dominating our screens for decades now.
Toy Storymeets Shakespeare in one of Jason Statham’s most unlikely franchisesas he lent his voice toGnomeo & Julietbut did not return for its sequel,Sherlock Gnomes. This reimagining ofRomeo and Julietwith feuding garden gnomes certainly had a unique premise, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it was just too self-referential for its own good.
Statham played Tybalt, Gnomeo’s nemesis, who escalates the conflict between the red and blue gnomes in the same way the genuine Shakespeare character did with the Montagues and Capulets. As a silly, updated take on a classic tragedy,Gnomeo & Julietwas packed with Elton John songs and stood as an enjoyable but minor addition to Statham’s varied filmography.
Jason Statham brought his unique action hero persona to a role first made famous by Charles Bronson inThe Mechanic, a remake of the 1972 action favorite. As the hitman Arthur Bishop, Statham played a skilled killer who specialized in making his murders look like accidents. With a whole lot of style, this antihero focused on tactics over brute force.
The Mechanicwas an enjoyable showcase of Statham’s appeal as an action star, and he even reprised his role for the sequel,Mechanic: Resurrection, in 2016. However, as a loud and over-the-top action crime series, there was nothing here we hadn’t already seen before in much better Statham movies, and these films squandered their potential to be really interesting.
Another enjoyable Jason Statham remake came withDeath Race, an update of the 1975 dystopian classicDeath Race 2000. Statham starred as Jensen Ames, an ex-con forced by his prison warden to compete in a brutal road race that sees opponents literally kill each other in pursuit of victory. As mindless, violent, and fast-paced action,Death Racewill satisfy adrenaline junkies.
While theDeath Raceseries continued for ten years with three direct-to-video sequels, Statham did not stay with the franchise, and new actors were brought in to continue the chaotic carnage of the road racing series. With higher production values than the average VOD release, the laterDeath Raceentries maintained their appeal even without Statham at the wheel.
The Expendables
Jason Statham’s status among the most notable action stars around was confirmed through his appearance inThe Expendablesfranchise. As a star-studded series led by Sylvester Stallone and including the likes of Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger, this ensemble franchise really is a who’s who of the action movie landscape of the 20th and 21st centuries.
As the former SAS soldier Lee Christmas,Statham brought his incredible fighting talents toThe Expendablesseriesand helped turn it into one of the most fun, exciting, and self-aware action series there is. By proving he’s capable of acting alongside titans of the genre, Statham cemented his place as a modern action icon.
The Meg
As an action star most commonly seen fighting in an urban environment, it was exciting to see Jason Statham on new terrain in the aquatic sci-fi action thriller seriesThe Meg. Based on a series of novels by Steve Alten,Statham played expert diver Jonas Taylor, who encounters the once-thought extinct megalodon shark while on a rescue mission.
Meg 2continued the adventures of Taylor as he was confronted with more prehistoric sharks in a series that makesJawslook like a common goldfish. With plenty of underwater thrills, cheesy dialogue, and B-movie scares, viewers who haven’t yet seen this franchise should dive right in and enjoyThe Meg.
WatchingCrankis about as close as a feature film has ever gotten to the feeling of going on a wild rampage in theGrand Theft Autovideo game series. As Chev Chelios,Jason Statham played a hitman poisoned with a synthetic drug, which means he needs to keep his adrenaline pumping or he will die.
This chaotic premise meant thatCrankdidn’t let the intensity drop for one moment, and this fast-paced energy was repeated in the sequel,Crank: High Voltage, where Chelios had to keep his artificial heart charged electrically while he frantically searched for his real one. TheCrankseries is about as wild as it gets, and it was perfect for Statham.
While there had been talk about a potentialCrank 3to continue the franchise, these plans have never come to fruition. Yet, theCrankseries stands as one of Statham’s most intense and acclaimed projects among fans, as it allowed him to let loose like no other role and push action movie chaos to its absolute extreme.
Fast & Furious
TheFast & Furiousseries is among the most popular franchises of all time, and Jason Statham helped flesh out its ensemble cast when he joined in 2013. As a former British Special Forces soldier and MI6 agent turned criminal, Deckard Shaw joined the series in a brief uncredited cameo appearance inFast & Furious 6before stepping into the spotlight forFurious 7.
Shaw quickly became a fan-favorite character, and his interactions with Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs led to some of the series' most enjoyable moments, so much so that the duo even got their own spin-off movie,Hobbs & Shaw, in 2019.
Statham brought a menacing energy into this wild street racing series, as he sought vengeance against Dominic Toretto and his crew for hospitalizing his brother. As the series has gone on, Statham has become something of a reluctant ally as he’s been folded into theFastfamily and become one of the franchise’s most charismatic antiheroes.
Transporter
The definitive Jason Statham movie franchise was, of course, theTransporterseries. Signaling Statham’s breakthrough as an action movie leading man,The Transportersaw Statham step up from supporting roles in Guy Ritchie movies likeLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsto show off his impeccable choreography skills in the fast-paced story of a professional getaway driver.
With an impressively assured sense of style,The Transporterwas co-written by Luc Bessonand featured accomplished direction from Hong Kong action movie veteran Corey Yuen. As the series continued with two sequels, theTransporterfranchise was a major contributor to Statham carving out his unique action hero persona.
As a franchise that lived and died on Statham’s cinematic charisma, it’s not surprising that a planned attempt at a reboot with Ed Skrein failed to connect with audiences.Jason Stathamhas had a long and impressive career in action movies, and it was through beloved franchises likeTransporterthat he’s managed to make such an impact.
